


I Surrender, It’s Only Love

by velos_mush



Category: Star Trek: Discovery
Genre: Additional Warnings Apply, Book: Star Trek Discovery Annual (2018) - Kirsten Beyer & Mike Johnson, Canon Compliant, Culmets - Freeform, Dating, Early Relationship, Falling In Love, Fluff and Smut, How They Met, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-12
Updated: 2021-03-09
Packaged: 2021-03-11 03:15:29
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 19
Words: 20,160
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28028391
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/velos_mush/pseuds/velos_mush
Summary: Pre-show.Exploring the early stages of Hugh and Paul's relationship.Rated E for the most endearing chapters, but I've rated each chapter individually too!
Relationships: Hugh Culber & Tracy Pollard, Hugh Culber/Paul Stamets, Paul Stamets & Justin Straal
Comments: 75
Kudos: 49





	1. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rating: G  
> Hugh & Paul meet for the first time since Alpha Centauri.

Paul sits in the dim hotel lobby, tapping on his thigh with one hand and mindlessly browsing a PADD with the other. There is text on the screen he doesn’t read, and pictures he glances over but doesn’t look at.

His heart jumps at an incoming message.

“Be there in 20 minutes”, Hugh writes.

Paul is frozen staring at the message pop up until it disappears. His hand stops the nervous tapping to grab the PADD from the glass table, and to write back.

_“Can’t wait.”_

And he really can’t. 20 minutes, still? Paul feels like he’s been waiting for weeks – and technically he has. But he’s only sat in the hotel lobby for a while, just long enough to finish a cup of coffee and go trough his presentation one more time, sloppily. Hardly a way in which he does anything, usually. He takes pride in being very particular about his work.

But not this weekend.

After an unexpected encounter on Alpha Centauri 6 weeks ago – Paul checks in his head, yes, it really has been 6 weeks since he met Hugh – they’ve only been in contact via video calls and messages. Not that it hadn’t been nice – it’s been very nice – Paul was starting to get impatient with not being close to Hugh, physically.

For a while, he had been afraid to say anything, in case Hugh felt differently. He had tried to focus on his work, only messaging Hugh once or twice a day compared to the earlier long daily conversations and calls.

He didn’t mean to get so lost in the research, but that’s just who he was. One day, he had forgotten to message Hugh completely. He had spent his entire day calculating and testing yet another idea for harnessing the potential of the spore drive. It didn’t work.

He returned to his apartment, overlooking the research station on Deneva, defeated and annoyed. He had frustratedly kicked off his shoes, thrown his jacket on the couch, rest of his clothes leaving a messy trail to the bathroom. He didn’t pay much attention to anything while showering. He’s pretty sure he had washed himself.

Stepping out of the bathroom to be met with the warm glow of the Denevian sunset, Paul sighed.

Instantly, there was a muffled vibration coming from somewhere near the entrance to his apartment.

Oh shit, Paul realized. He had not looked at his personal PADD all day.

Quickly making his way to the entrance, he tried to grab the jacket he wore today from the coat rack. It wasn’t there. He turned around, remembering throwing the jacket on the couch, only to realize the buzzing was coming from his feet.

Paul grabbed the PADD from the case on the floor, almost instinctively answered the video call, before realizing he was wearing nothing but a towel around his waist.

Hastily, he grabbed the nearest shirt he could find, struggled while putting it on trying to simultaneously hold the PADD. He took a few steps to the couch and answered the call while flopping down on the couch.

Hugh’s face appeared on screen, his brows furrowed a bit, but his mouth turning into a faint smile at the sight of Paul.

“Hey,” Hugh greeted in a soft tone.

“Hi.”

“Where have you been?”

Paul had realized his mistake just moments before, and took a second to think of the answer, no matter how obvious it was.

“In the lab,” Paul answered sounding a little exhausted.

“Of course,” Hugh smiled. “Anything exiting?”

Paul sighed again, turning his gaze to look at the sunset taking its final breaths in the horizon.

“Not really. Another day spent with algorithms and experiments only to prove myself wrong.”

“Oh,” Hugh exhaled with an apologizing look. “That sucks.”

By now, Hugh knew better than to answer Paul’s disappointment with the previously tried encouraging facts, like “that’s part of the research. You’ll get there eventually.”

Instead, he had noticed, Paul took comfort in him just agreeing that sometimes his work was a pain in the ass.

Looking at the pale man on screen, direct sunlight hitting his face and hair, illuminating it even lighter and bouncing off his blue eyes with a beautiful glow, Hugh definitely agreed that right now, he would rather have Paul not so invested in his research. Maybe they could spend some time together, if it wasn’t for their distance and both of their demanding jobs.

Hugh sighed smiling, studying Paul’s white-appearing eyebrows, now furrowing a bit in a way that had become quite familiar to Hugh. Paul quickly turned back to face the screen.

“I don’t really want to think about it,” he huffs. “How was your day?”

“I missed you,” Hugh answers without hesitation.

Paul is taken aback by the honest statement. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to ignore you,” Paul murmurs, realizing there are at least a few notifications unread on his PADD from Hugh.

“I know. You were working.”

“Still. I could’ve at least messaged you,” Paul goes on to say, genuinely annoyed at himself for ignoring Hugh for a full day. He meant to keep his distance, but not this much.

“Yeah, you could’ve,” Hugh admits, flashing a grin that almost melts Paul.

Hugh is still in his white Starfleet uniform, although the jacket is open, revealing an undershirt with a far more giving neckline. Paul tries not to stare.

“But I had a busy day too,” Hugh continues. “I have time now.”

“Good,” Paul smiles, although he’s a tiny bit uncomfortable remembering that he isn’t wearing any pants.

“You’re home?” Paul asks an obvious question. He’s seen enough glimpses of Hugh’s quarters to recognize it.

“Well,” Hugh looks a little surprised. “I guess.”

Paul raises an eyebrow as in asking Hugh to elaborate.

“It still doesn’t feel very... homey.”

Hugh had lived in these quarters on this starbase for about six months now. He’d gotten used to it, and felt physically comfortable where he was, but he had never referred to it as “home”. Maybe because he spent so much time on duty outside the starbase.

“I get that,” Paul answered. He in turn had lived in this apartment for almost 3 years. It was a place to sleep, eat and shower, above anything else. If there was a place he’d consider home, it would be his mushroom garden in the lab.

Both men startle slightly, as Paul’s PADD receives a message. Paul furrows his brows and purses his lips, opening the message. Hugh recognises the look from previous calls, often followed with an apologetic Paul having to head back to the lab.

Paul groans at the message in frustration. He places the PADD on the coffee table, disappearing from the screen.

“What is it?” Hugh asks while grabbing something off the screen himself. Might as well fill some reports if Paul must head back to work.

“Umm,” Paul huffs from outside the screen. “It’s Straal.” He reappears wearing grey collage pants and scuffing his damp blonde hair with a towel.

“Back to work?” Hugh asks with a tender smile.

“No... Well, not right now,” Paul answers, reading the message again. He scoffs. “He’s bailing on me for a conference next weekend.”

There’s an annoyed look on the man’s face, as he dismisses the message and leans back on the couch, defeated.

“Fucking Straal,” he hisses, just audibly for Hugh to hear. He chuckles to himself, trying to hide a smile.

“Where is it?” Hugh asks, apparently while writing some notes on another device in front of him.

“Betazed.” Ugh. That’s far.

“Really?” Hugh raises his brows and opens a new tab on his PADD with a swift touch. Betazed is closer than Deneva, that’s for sure.

“I’m so tired of having to act like an idiot at these things,” Paul starts ranting. Hugh nods, but is still flicking trough tabs on his device to look at something else.

“I don’t know anyone, or even if I did, I don’t care enough to remember them. Most people don’t actually care about the research and are there just for the show and... gossip,” Paul huffs. “Who goes to a science conference for gossip?”

Hugh glances at Paul and gives a small chuckle. He’s reminded of what often goes on during Starfleet Medical personnel seminars, after and in between the lectures...

“I know some people,” Hugh laughs. He’s dug up a file listing his work shifts, displayed in thick boxes of multiple colors for multiple sites and types of shifts. He scrolls down to next week.

“It’s obnoxious. Would be fine if it was just the presentations, but there’s always some afterparty you’re expected to attend if you’re to actually make connections and get sponsors. Escapes me how my social presence has anything to do with the research...” Paul rants on.

They’ve had this conversation before, a few weeks ago, when Paul was getting ready for another one of his trips across the galaxy to present his genius research to much less interested audiences. It was clear Paul wasn’t much of a people’s person. He was a convincing speaker, though. Hugh had been intrigued from the first moment he saw Paul give his presentation. Intense, captivating and so excited about his own work, it was hard not to be. Or so Hugh had thought. Apparently, he was in the minority.

“Why does Justin just get to inform me he’s not coming. I better be in a hospital if I were to skip one of these things."

Hugh looks at Paul on the screen, his face now more frustrated than annoyed.

“Please don’t hurt yourself for that,” Hugh kids. Although there’s a slight chance Paul actually might be that stupid, he admits.

Paul smiles back at him softly. A moment passes in silence, before Hugh continues.

“You know... I have vacation days saved up. I’ve always wanted to visit Betazed.”  
  



	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Season: Pre-show.  
> Spoilers: General Series Knowledge Only.  
> Based loosely on Star Trek annual 2018 comic.
> 
> Exploring the early stages of Hugh and Paul's relationship.
> 
> Meeting in the hotel lobby. With illustration.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rating: G

* * *

Paul awakes from his thoughts at a loud group of hotel guests passing him. He’s still in the lobby, PADD on his lap and the empty coffee mug on the table in front of him. How long was he lost in his thoughts? He turns around and examines the lobby with his eyes, scanning for Hugh. He’s not here yet.

Paul groans. How long is this 20 minutes going to take?

He slumps back in the chair, opens the PADD again, and soon after there’s sound and a tiny breath of cool air in his neck as the hotel lobby doors open and close again. He glances over his shoulder.

Just before the figure disappears behind a thick column to presumably check in at the front desk, Paul sees a glimpse of the man’s side profile. Short black hair, impeccably groomed facial hair, a tan trench coat and a Starfleet travel case he’s pulling behind him.

Paul forgets how to breath for a second. Shit, he coughs in slight panic, puts his PADD in his blazer pocket, and stands up. He hesitates for a moment and clenches his fists anxiously. He leaves the corner table and starts walking towards the reception anyway, one hand still on the PADD in his pocket, tapping on its edge.

A receptionist hands Hugh a key card and gestures in the general direction of Paul. The man smiles a wide, perfect smile at the receptionist and thanks them, before grabbing the handle of his travel case and turning slightly to face Paul.

He stops in his tracks for a second, only now noticing the blonde man standing a few meters in front of him. Paul is frozen too, staring at this beautiful man. He sees Hugh’s smile fade a bit, and gets nervous again. But before Paul has time to even start fidgeting with his fingers, the smile is back on Hugh’s face as he takes a few rapid steps towards Paul. He’s smiling wider than before. How is that even possible?

Paul feels a smile forming on his own face, as the distance between the two of them decreases. Not really thinking about it, Paul takes the last couple of steps to eradicate any space between them himself, cups Hugh’s beautiful face with both hands and kisses him a warm welcome.

Right there, in the hotel lobby, in a much more public space than Paul had ever planned such a gesture. Not that he had planned anything in particular, despite imagining this moment in various ways over the last few weeks.

He feels Hugh smile into the kiss, before leaning back and not knowing where to look, resulting in an awkward glance down at their feet, to the door, and back to meet Hugh’s eyes.

His smile shows a hint of surprise. It’s thoughtful. And as radiant as ever.

Paul isn’t sure what to do. He’s still holding Hugh’s cheeks gently in his hands.

“Hi,” Hugh greets in the softest voice, almost whispering.

A wave of relief runs over Paul. He finally lets go of Hugh, although his left hand is left wandering around the man’s jawline for a tiny moment.

A happy, honest smile on his face, he answers just as softly:

“Hey.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rating: T  
> Hugh and Paul spend time together for the first time.

The elevator takes forever. Really, it’s just a few seconds, but Paul wants it to be faster. He feels Hugh’s hand reach for his, and turns to look at the man. He notices a tiny silver pendant peeking under his multicolored button up shirt’s collar.

Hugh smiles at him gently. The elevator pings, and they enter hand in hand.

“14th floor,” Paul tells the elevator and glances at Hugh.

“You had time to change out of the uniform?”

“Yes,” Hugh smiles with a spark in his eyes. “Are you disappointed?”

Paul feels a faint flush on his cheeks, but doesn’t break eye contact. He’s getting more comfortable with Hugh every second.

“No,” he replies, “I don’t mind either way.”

It was true. Hugh was hot in uniform. But Hugh was also hot in this; skinny jeans, button up (top button open) and a light coat. Hugh was probably hot in anything or without anything...

Paul wonders if he’s getting ahead of himself, what the expectations were for this weekend. He had been so nervous and/or concentrated on work beforehand, that he didn’t really have any. Other than he knew he would enjoy it nevertheless. Especially after Hugh had told him there’s no need for separate beds in the hotel room. Still.

“Would you have kissed me if I was in uniform?” Hugh asks playfully while slipping his hand out of Paul’s, and goes on to caress the back of the man’s hand with his slender fingers.

“I don’t know,” Paul replies, realizing that might’ve indeed made him more intimidated. “I wasn’t planning on it anyway, before...”

He falls silent. Hugh is observing his face and every gesture he makes intensely. He makes the notion that Paul, while almost the same height as him, is a few centimetres taller.

“Before what?” He asks, tilting his head trying to catch Paul’s eyes.

Paul turns his head slightly to face him with a serious expression, staring into his eyes more intensely than before.

“Before you smiled at me like that.”

His comment summons the smile again.

“There it is,” Paul teases. Hugh laughs and pushes Paul’s arm softly. How different the man is from their first encounter, so much more relaxed. It’s the side Hugh had hoped to see emerge under the harsh surface, and he wasn’t disappointed.

The elevator pings again. Fourteenth floor. Hugh takes a look at Paul, who stares the elevator doors as they open, grabs Hugh’s hand and leads him along the hotel corridor. They walk without saying a word, turn a corner and arrive at their room door.

Paul fumbles for the key card in his pocket.

“I have mine right here,” Hugh says lifting the card in his hand and placing it on the lock pad. The door makes a gentle humming sound, Paul pushes it open and gestures for Hugh to enter.

The room is dark, only the city lights bringing in some light in different soft hues. Hugh places his travel case in the nook next to the door and hangs his coat in the rack. Paul steps further into the room, placing the PADD from his pocket on the room desk. He stands there, in front of the window, thoughtful.

Hugh watches the man’s shadow against the window.

“Paul?”

“Hm?” Paul awakens from his thoughts and looks up at Hugh. He steps closer an places one hand on Paul’s shoulder.

“Everything okay?”

Paul looks deep into the brown eyes, and once again he feels a sense of relief. This gorgeous being in front of him has wanted to spend time with him. He’s here now. Paul lifts his arms and wraps around Hugh’s waist, leaning his head on his shoulder. Hugh smells amazing.

“Yes,” he answers softly and lifts his head back up. “Better than okay.”

Hugh smiles carefully, locking his eyes with Paul’s. His hands go on to trace the seam of Paul’s shirt, caress his neck, up to his hair, then pulling him in, pressing their lips against each other. Paul answers to the kiss and pulls Hugh’s hips closer, his grip strong and gentle.

Hugh’s hand wanders around Paul’s hair, while the other holds the back of his neck, making sure he won’t be pulling away too soon. They breathe in each other’s scent, holding each other, letting their hands wander.

They break the kiss, separating ever so slightly, still feeling the breath of the other on their skin. Hugh lets out a pleased hum. He pulls Paul in for another kiss. Long, sweet and wet.

“Um,” Paul lets out a barely audible hum.

Hugh looks at him, puzzled, but not judgmental. His hand strokes the back of Paul’s neck reassuringly.

“It’s just that... It’s been a while,” Paul voices, looking down. “Thought you should know.”

Hugh isn’t that surprised. From what he figured; Paul had been practically married to his job for the past 10 years. Still, it was the first time Hugh had seen him like this, unsure.

“It’s okay,” he assures. Paul lifts his gaze to peek at Hugh trough his pale lashes, eyebrows furrowed.

“There’s no rush. I’m not going anywhere,” Hugh continues. Paul nods, the corners of his mouth turning ever so slightly upwards.

“Are you hungry?” Hugh asks in a lighter tone after a moment of silence spent gently and carefully examining the small details of Paul’s beautiful face.

“Actually, I am,” Paul replies with a chuckle, noticeably relaxing in Hugh’s hold.

They order in, and spend the evening talking about nothing and everything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If someone wants to beta read the next chapters for me, I would appreciate it immensely!  
> I put "eventual smut" in the tag but idk it might come sooner than expected lol.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hugh & Paul are getting to know each other. Things start getting steamy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rating: T  
> Slightly NSFW!  
> Thank you @araviis for the beta read!

After a delicious meal and a couple of drinks each, they’ve both lost track of time completely. Paul is gesturing with his hands excitedly, explaining in detail how the mycelial network could eventually be used to transport anything, anywhere – in theory, at least.

Hugh has of course heard this before, however there are some new details that at least hadn’t been included in any previous conversation. He still listens closely, paying close attention to the different expressions changing rapidly on Paul’s face.

Hugh is reminded of one of their early video calls. Paul had been working in the lab, Hugh reading new reports to stay on top of things, and they’d had a connection set up for several hours. Paul’s PADD had been placed so that Hugh couldn’t see what he was actually working on, just him sitting by the desk, occasionally getting up to check something outside the screen, and a couple of times returning with what looked like a microscope sample.

After finishing the reports, Hugh had put his work aside and sat there, watching Paul. He was so concentrated on his work Hugh doesn’t think he ever noticed. A few minutes later Paul had let out a frustrated growl, lifted both arms behind his neck and leaned backwards to face the ceiling. His chest rose a few times with the deep breaths he took to calm down. He then rolled up the sleeves of his shirt and returned to his work.

Hugh had followed this seemingly mundane scene with great interest. Seeing the man from new angles, so intensely focused even in moments of frustration, his chest moving up and down, his forearms covered in fluffy blonde hair. It was all very attractive.

Since then, Hugh had wondered several times what it would feel like, being held by those arms.

“It’s like a nervous system encompassing all of space,” Paul explains, grabbing the doctor’s hand in his, tracing the skin of his palm with his index finger. “You feel the pain immediately, no matter where in your body you’re hit.”

Hugh smiles at this dark comparison made undoubtedly to cater to his previous knowledge. It makes sense, even though any possible implementation for the spore drive still escapes him.

“Of course, it’s not that... morbid,” Paul notes in a more serious tone, looking up at Hugh’s eyes. Hugh chuckles, taking Paul’s hands in his.

“Well, it’s not just negative stimuli that gets transferred,” Hugh points out, brushing his hands along Paul’s arms. He shifts closer on the bed they’re sitting on, looking deep into Paul’s blue eyes. “I’m going to kiss you now,” he states, cupping Paul’s face in his palms.

“Okay,” Paul chuckles, intrigued as to why Hugh has decided to make this declaration... Paul already feels very comfortable with him. Safe. Still, he appreciates the attentiveness.

Hugh presses his lips against Paul’s, tilting his head for perfect access, and opens his lips slightly into the kiss. Paul makes sure to let Hugh know he wants this too. He leans into the kiss, hands wandering over to Hugh’s thighs, and from there to firmly hold him around his waist.

“Paul,” Hugh breaks away from the kiss. “You let me know as soon as you don’t feel up to something.”

Paul smiles. “I don’t think there’s any need.”

Hugh is about to insist he means it. Before he can speak, Paul kisses him again, hungry, pushing him back on the bed, extending his left arm to soften the already comfortable landing. He can feel Paul smiling into the kiss, and his free hand wandering all over his chest.

Paul leans in lower to lay a kiss on Hugh’s neck. Then another on the collarbone, barely visible from under the shirt. Paul’s weight feels nice on him, and Hugh goes on to run his hands up Paul’s back.

Paul, now leaning on both of his elbows, hovering just barely over Hugh, swiftly opens the topmost button still keeping Hugh’s shirt closed. He goes on to fiddle with another one, glancing up to Hugh for confirmation.

“Mmh,” Hugh hums in agreement.

The rest of the buttons become undone, but his shirt is still tightly tucked in his jeans. Paul groans in frustration, which makes Hugh bite his lip.

“Too many clothes,” Paul murmurs, placing a kiss on Hugh’s midriff.

“I agree,” Hugh exhales, and wiggles into a more upright position. Paul moves from on top of him, steps up from the bed, watches as Hugh does the same and quickly gets rid of his shirt.

Wow. Paul can’t help but stare at the perfectly defined body, glistening in the city lights.

Hugh steps closer, grabs Paul’s collar with both hands, and almost their lips touching, whispers: “You too.”

He doesn’t need to be told twice. Paul starts undoing his own belt, while Hugh’s hands get busy opening his shirt. Hugh throws the shirt off Paul’s shoulders and grabs his upper arms, firm and soft at the same time, growing thicker with light hair as his hands move lower.

Paul sheds his pants and shirt almost simultaneously, then, grabbing Hugh by his belt, tugs him closer. Their lips meet again, and Hugh’s hands wonder around the hem of Paul’s undershirt. The belt comes undone and Paul’s hands slip between the fabric and Hugh’s behind.

“Mm,” Hugh purrs into the kiss, sliding Paul’s shirt higher, caressing his sides as he goes. He leans back just enough to whisper: “Off.” 


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rating: E  
> NSFW.  
> Things continue steamy.

Hugh’s body jolts against the bed at the sensation of Paul’s lips on his lower abdomen. His hands wander over his thighs, then return to firmly hold his hips while pressing his lips onto his inner thigh. The sensation travels quickly through Hugh’s body, and he can feel his frustration grow under the teasing kisses and bites.

Paul's hands slide over Hugh’s thighs towards his ass, grabbing him.

He leans his body weight back on top of Hugh’s chest, kissing his collarbones, hands still playing along the seams of his underwear as it grows more restricting by the second.

Hugh isn’t exactly clear-headed right now, having enjoyed a couple of drinks, but even more so, the ferociousness of Paul’s touch turning him on, hard. He can feel the heavy breaths on his neck, couple more nibs on the way, lips grazing his ear, and then the steel blue eyes piercing him with a lustful look.

Paul stares right at him, clutches on to the sides of his underwear and pulls it down.

A moan escapes Hugh’s lips, and he instinctively thrusts his hips upwards. Paul answers, mirroring the movement, their whole bodies pushing into each other with a passion almost mind-blowing. And Paul isn’t even nude yet... Hugh traces his hands down Paul’s back, and pushes away the final piece of clothing separating their bodies.

Paul shifts quickly to remove his underwear completely, and pushes back onto Hugh before he’s left missing the pressure of his body. Skin moves against skin, the tension almost burning, tickling every inch of their bodies.

Good god, Hugh whispers in his mind. And he doesn’t even believe in any god. This is – while not exactly what he had expected from Paul – exhilarating. 

He had met the man, and yes, found him attractive. But visual attraction alone could never compare to the things he was making him feel now.

“Mm,” Hugh smiles into another kiss. “So good.”

“How do you want it?” Paul whispers into his ear, making him shiver.

Hugh decides there needs to be a change of pace if they are to enjoy each other for as long as possible. He pushes Paul’s shoulder and lifts himself up, freeing himself from under Paul’s body and forcing him to lay down instead. He smiles with cocksure confidence and climbs on Paul’s lap.

The blonde man watches with excitement, laying his hands on Hugh’s waist. His gaze wanders down the glistening, heaving chest, and his hands are about to follow.

“No,” Hugh smiles softly, placing his hands on top of Paul’s to stop them from moving. 

He lifts himself up, slowly moves down and places himself in between Paul’s legs, leaving a trail along his torso with the tip of his tongue.

“Oh fuck,” Paul gasps under his breath as Hugh grips around him, his tongue continuing along Paul’s length.

Hugh smiles to himself, stroking gently, occasionally letting his lips brush on Paul’s skin as well. Small sounds escape the man under his grip every time he does it. Hugh enjoys the various little moans immensely. 

“Hugh...” Paul groans, running his hands through Hugh’s dark curly hair.

“Mm-h,” Hugh teases, tightening his grip and letting his lips graze the tip of Paul’s length.

“Oh fuck, Hugh, you have to stop,” Paul almost begs. 

Hugh raises himself to hover above Paul, leaning on his arms and examines his expression. 

“Everything okay?” He asks, although there’s a smile on Paul’s face.

“Yes,” Paul whispers coarsely, running his hands down Hugh’s neck. “I don’t want you to stop. But... have to.”

“Why? I was having fun,” Hugh smiles and plants a mischievous kiss on Paul’s lips. “I’ll stop on one condition,” he continues, running his fingers down Paul’s chest. He’s met with a questioning look.

Hugh leans in as close to Paul’s ear as possible, and whispers with conviction: “Fuck me.”

* * *

Paul stands up from the bed, grabbing a tube of lube from his travel case open next to the nightstand. He gestures for Hugh to move closer, and he gladly does, sits near the edge of the bed and looks up to meet Paul’s eyes. Paul leans down for a soft kiss.

Hugh turns himself around, standing on the bed on all fours. He hears Paul take a staggered breath behind him, and can’t help but feel a little smug. 

“You good?” Paul asks and caresses his lower back with one hand.

“Mm-h,” Hugh assures. There’s a slight pause before Paul grabs his hip with one hand and the other slides in between, fingers wet with lube, teasing.

Carefully, Paul pushes his fingers into Hugh, who lets out a whimper.

“Okay?” Paul leans forward and plants a kiss on his back.

“Yes.”

Paul pushes further, digging into Hugh’s side with his other hand. His body is pressed as close to Hugh’s as possible, leaving only the space necessary for his hands to do the work. His breath is warm against Hugh’s skin. His fingers move slowly. 

Paul pulls his hands away and strokes himself a few times. Hugh catches a glimpse over his shoulder. Very hot. 

Both of Paul’s hands now grab Hugh’s ass, and one moves higher, tracing his spine, as a new warmth pushes into Hugh, intoxicating. 

The physical world around them seems to vanish as they move together. There are no others in this world, colored in different tones of dark blue, stars shining in from the hotel window. 

* * *

“Ah, fuck,” Paul grunts, ramming himself into Hugh, thrusting deeper, hands digging into the flesh on his sides.

“Yes,” Hugh moans, his legs shaking. A drop of sweat drips down Paul’s torso, adding to the moisture in between them. 

A couple more rapid, impatient thrusts, before Paul leans in to whisper in Hugh’s ear, breath trembling: “You feel so fucking good.”

Before the compliment even registers, Paul grabs Hugh’s cock, prompting a loud moan, pushing himself into the man in front of him again and stroking him in sync with the movement of his own hips.

Hugh grasps onto the hotel bed sheets and pushes himself against Paul. Both let out little sounds of satisfaction, moving against each other, hitting those last high notes of arousal.

Paul gasps for air, clinging onto Hugh’s hips, his body tenses up, and with a final deep thrust he comes inside Hugh’s ass.

“Fuck!” Paul grunts. Hugh quickly grabs his hand from his hip, guiding it to finish him off too.

“Don’t stop, please.”

Paul grasps Hugh’s erection, remaining inside of him, twitching in the aftermath. Hugh moans. His breathing gets faster, back arches as Paul jerks him off. The moans get more frequent, and Hugh thrusts himself against Paul’s hand. 

Paul flinches and has to pull out. Cum leaks out of Hugh, making him twist and come all over the hotel bed himself, accompanied by a soft cry.

Hugh flumps down on the bed, face buried in the sheets. He feels the bed give in under Paul’s weight as he sits beside him and flings himself back, exhausted. A small chuckle escapes Paul. Hugh turns his head to face him, and is met with a beautiful smile. They lay there, in the darkness, listening to each other breathe, coming down from the high peacefully.


	6. Inquiry

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rating: T  
> Next morning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> General Notes: I reviewed my timeline and needed to correct it a bit. I changed the duration of Paul’s stay on Deneva so far to 3 years from the previous 6 (minor change to Chapter 1). This fits in with canon but gives Paul & Hugh’s relationship more time, around 9 years before Discovery.  
> I also decided to start naming chapters. From now on. Yes.

Hugh wakes up to sunlight hitting his skin, coming in from the hotel window and bouncing off the white sheets almost blindingly. Still groggy, he turns his head to the other side of the bed. He’s met with a sight of pale skin transitioning to soft blonde hair, Paul’s skin reflecting the morning light almost as radiant as the white sheets wrapped around his lower body.

He pushes himself up to lean on his elbows. He looks out to the bright morning, rubs his eyes and turns to hover over sleeping Paul, leaning on one arm, palm against his cheek. He studies the curve of Paul’s shoulder, following it with his fingers ever so softly, so as not to wake him. He follows the curve up the man’s neck, softly brushing over his ear as he goes on. Paul shifts a bit and hums, almost growls into his pillow.

A gentle smile appears on Hugh’s face, and he wraps around Paul’s body, his chest pressing on Paul’s back, breathing into the pleasant warmth of the nape of his neck.

The blonde eyelashes flutter, before a slight frown takes over Paul’s face and he hides it deeper into the pillow.

“Good morning,” Hugh greets softly, caressing Paul’s upper arm.

“Gmmh.”

Hugh chuckles to himself. Paul’s not much of a morning person.

“What time is it?” Paul asks in a hoarse voice. Hugh lifts himself enough to see over Paul’s shoulder to the nightstand, where a PADD has blinked on from the question, displaying the time.

“0730,” Hugh reads.

“Hmm,” Paul acknowledges, opening his eyes ever so slightly. “Good.”

“When is your presentation again?” Hugh asks, giving Paul a kiss on the cheek. The timetable of Paul’s work-event had come up last night, but Hugh had soon forgotten all about it, as things progressed to definitely-not-work-related-events.

“I have to be there at 10.”

They’re in no hurry. Hugh pulls Paul in closer, if possible, holds on tight and places a few more kisses on his cheek and temple.

Paul smiles, although the unpleasant idea of having to leave this embrace for a stupid conference lurks in his mind. He turns his head as far as he can to face Hugh. His eyes meet the brown ones looking up at him from behind his shoulder.

“It’s nice here...” Paul murmurs, shifting his position, now laying on his back, Hugh still snuggled up to his side.

“It is.”

“I don’t think the conference is as important as Straal made it sound. I can just skip it. No big deal,” Paul says with a mischievous grin appearing on his face, eyes closed.

Hugh chuckles. As if Paul would skip work, no matter how much he dislikes this part of it.

“But you won’t,” Hugh sighs with a wistful smile, propping himself up on his elbow again. He notices a twitch in Paul’s smile. His eyes wander down to Paul’s chest and are brought back up as he opens his eyes to look directly into his.

“I know,” Paul huffs, staring into Hugh intensely. “I wish I could.”

Paul lifts himself up, Hugh giving him the space to do so, just watching carefully, as Paul props himself to lean on the headboard and grabs the PADD from the nightstand. He flicks open a couple of messages that don’t need answering and goes on to inspect the timetable in more detail. Hugh sits up next to him, adjusting his position so he can see the PADD screen as well. He checks what’s on it, but doesn’t read the text. He looks at Paul instead.

“I’m done with my part around noon,” Paul says without looking away from the device. “But there’s always something. Someone asking stupid questions, or...”

He’s lost in his thoughts for a moment.

“Anyway, after that, lunch?” He half states, half asks Hugh, lifting his eyes to meet his. “12:30 maybe.”

Hugh nods.

“I might come watch your presentation. I can hang around afterwards.”

“You don’t need to do that. You’ve heard it more than once, I don’t want to bore you.”

“You don’t bore me,” Hugh replies, flashing a smile at Paul. He returns a more timid smile, but a smile nonetheless.

Paul finishes checking whatever he still had to check on his PADD and looks up to Hugh. “You want breakfast?”

Hugh looks thoughtful for a moment. He lifts his hand to hold Paul’s chin and kisses him softly.

“Yes please,” he hums in between kisses.

“Hugh,” Paul laughs, his hands just slightly pushing on the firm chest of the man not willing to let their lips part. He gives up and looks at Paul with a look that’s hard to resist.

“I mean real breakfast, I’m hungry,” Paul chuckles with a hint of remorse in his voice. Hugh tilts his head with a smirk.

“That’s what I meant too,” he rolls his eyes playfully, swings his legs off the bed and sits on the edge, taking in the view outside. Tall glass buildings frame the street the hotel is on, and further, behind some lower buildings, he can see a lush green area extending for several blocks. 

Hugh can feel Paul’s eyes on his back, and he smiles at the thought.

The bed shifts as Paul gets up, going on to rummage his travel case next to the bed. He picks up a few pieces of clothing and places them on the bed.

“Can I ask...” Hugh begins, still facing away from Paul.

“Mmh,” Paul nods.

“You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to.”

Paul looks up to the man sitting on the other side of the bed, curious. He pulls on a pair of comfortable pants.

“You can ask,” he assures, and Hugh peeks at him over his shoulder, smiling.

“How long has it been for you exactly?”

Paul thinks for a second. It’s not really something he pays a ton of attention to, but knows what Hugh is referencing from their conversation last night.

“Four years?” He answers, not sure himself, grabbing a t-shirt from the bed.

Hugh turns his upper body, his head tilted slightly, and looks at Paul, surprised. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, it’s just hard to believe.

“Why..?” Paul asks with a hint of worry in his voice. Did Hugh not want to hear it after all?

“Oh, just wondering. That’s perfectly fine.” Hugh stands up and gathers some items scattered around the floor from last night. 

“Four years since..?” He continues the inquiry. Paul looks up to face him, now wearing an open button up on top of the undershirt as well. Hugh hands him the shirt he wore yesterday, similar in hue but slightly darker. He smiles gently.

“Since anything,” Paul answers.

“Really?”

“You don’t believe me?” Paul laughs.

“It’s just not what I expected,” Hugh steps closer, looking deep into Paul’s eyes. “Based on last night.”

Hugh lays a kiss on Paul’s lips, and thinks he sees the man blush.

“Are you going to wear anything?” Paul asks with a grin. Hugh throws a mean look at him before letting out a laugh.

“I don’t mind, but others might,” Paul adds.


	7. Need-to-know

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rating: G

They make their way to the hotel breakfast, grab whatever they like from the buffet, and for the first few moments just concentrate on eating. Hugh watches Paul pour milk and a hefty amount of sugar into his coffee. He says nothing, although his doctor instincts want to. It’s not exactly a morning-after-the-first-date kind of conversation. If last night even counts as a date. Hugh decides it does – had they eaten the same meal at a restaurant it would’ve definitely qualified as a date. And it’s one of the best dates Hugh’s had. Maybe it’s unfair to compare, as they’ve been in contact for several weeks, but it feels right. There’s none of the unease that usually lingers in the air the morning after.

Paul looks up to find Hugh’s eyes on him, watching gently.

“What?” he asks, tone snarkier than he meant it to be. He blames it on the early hour, but can’t help but flinch at his own tone.

“Nothing,” Hugh smiles. “Just thinking.”

Paul’s not confident enough to ask any further.

They finish eating, take in the view from the lounge, return to their room where Paul makes last adjustments to his presentation. Hugh gives him a kiss before they leave again to find the conference room.

Hugh decides to skip the presentation after all. He’d wanted to see the city, and this is his only full day here. He starts to wander around the streets. It’s been a long time since he had absolutely nothing to do, and more than a starbase to explore. 

He visits an adorable book store. He’s surprised to find one at all, given that all physical books are considered antique, and especially because of the telepathic nature of Betazoids. He guesses there has been enough migration from earth and other planetary systems to integrate some parts of other cultures here. 

Like any capital city of a warp-capable planet, Rixx is a buzzing metropol. It’s probably older than any major city on Earth, and the most important structures have been well taken care of for thousands of years. There are temples for deities next to shopping malls, small boutiques tucked away in between massive government buildings.

Hugh makes his way to the park he’d seen from the hotel window. It’s a well-kept, lush area spotted with vegetation resembling palm trees and small blue ponds. He walks a small loop around the park. People have brought blankets and are sitting on the lawn, children are playing with their toys and occasionally a small dog-like creature barks at Hugh.

He’s about to sit on a bench, when his eyes are drawn to a tree trunk beside it. It’s covered in small green mushrooms. He smiles to himself. If they have time, he’ll show Paul around the park too.

At noon, he checks his PADD. There’s no message yet, but he starts walking back towards the hotel. He spots a couple of nice-looking restaurants on the way and memorizes the locations. He arrives around 12:20 and waits in a plaza in front of the hotel. 

A few minutes later, Paul exits the hotel and walks up to him. He’s clutching onto the strap of the bag he’s carrying.

“Hey, stranger,” Hugh greets.

“Hey.” Paul replies and looks around, properly taking note of the surroundings for the first time since he arrived. 

“Lunch? I have a couple of places in mind.”

Paul nods and they start walking into the direction Hugh came from.

“Do you want local or Earth food?” Hugh asks. 

“There’s a market here for Earth food?” Paul chuckles.

“Apparently so.”

“Interesting. But, we’re here, I think we should eat local. The hotel dinner was great, at least.”

Hugh agrees, and they choose a quaint local bistro for lunch. They try to identify the ingredients on their plates, matching them to the menu, but it’s impossible not knowing more about the planet and its species.

“How was your presentation?” Hugh asks after they’ve had a few bites.

“Hm, good. I guess. We got what we came for.”

Hugh tilts his head.

“A sponsor, that is,” Paul gestures with his hand in the air. “Very interested, we’ll be meeting them again for negotiations.”

“That’s great!” Hugh picks up a vegetable and rolls it around in sauce.

“Yeah, I mean it’s still not for sure,” Paul sighs and sips his drink. “But this was the goal.” He stares down at his plate for a while, then lets out a small laugh.

“What?” Hugh asks, slightly amused.

“It’s just that Straal would probably kill me if he knew I told you first.”

“Yeah?”

“I mean it’s important the research itself stays with us… But details like this, everything to do with public relations and stuff… I don’t understand why it matters anyway.” Paul’s ranting a bit. Hugh nods and hums as he goes on. “But he cares. Which is good, means I have to worry about it less.”

“You didn’t message him yet?” Hugh asks when there’s a pause in Paul’s speech.

“It’s the middle of the night on Deneva. I’ll send it later.”

“I’m sure he’ll understand,” Hugh comments with a smile. He’s met with a look from Paul that tells him he believes otherwise. But Straal doesn’t need to know.

“I take it you two are pretty close?” Hugh asks after a while.

Paul looks up to him, one brow slightly raised. “I guess so. Would be a nightmare to work with someone you can’t stand.” He looks thoughtful. “Has happened before…”

Hugh smiles, knowingly. Working in an organization as obsessed with regulation and rank as Strafleet, he seldom has the opportunity to choose who he works with. He’s had good luck lately, and finds all the people he has to interact regularly in his current posting at least tolerable.

“I’m… thankful for him,” Paul voices sincerely. For a moment, there’s a vulnerable look in his eyes. “He’s very useful.” There it is, the smirk is back, and everyone’s pushed a little further from finding out how Paul really feels.


	8. Reminder

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rating: T

After lunch, Hugh wants to show Paul around some of the places he’d been to earlier. They don’t need to be anywhere before the evening, but there are some very interesting multidisciplinary panels coming up in the conference Hugh wouldn’t mind attending. 

They’ve reached the park, and submerged in a conversation.

“People get too fixated on man-made boundaries. Like chemistry, physics and biology could be distinguished from one another in the real world,” Paul explains after a recent controversy in the science community comes up. 

“I even heard an argument that ‘mixing sciences’ was unethical,” Hugh notes, rolling his eyes, and is met by the same amount of frustration by Paul. “I don’t think that person even was a scientist.”

Paul huffs and throws an arm in the air in a dismissing gesture. “There are stupid smart people too…” Hugh laughs at the comment. “But at least you should have a degree before talking shit like that.”

“The amount of people who still think they’re doctors because they read a book in 10th grade…”

“Don’t tell my aunt she isn’t a real doctor.”

They stop to look at bright red fish swimming in one of the ponds. They’re much like koi fish on Earth, but something about them is off.

“Did you study on Earth?” Paul asks.

“Yeah. Well, you do the basic training at the Academy Medical Institute. For the internship, you’re shipped to wherever they need people to go. I did mine on Risa. You?”

“Oh,” Paul breaths out. “In Chicago.”

“You’re from there, right?”

“I grew up in a smaller town nearby. But I lived there almost as long. 13, no, 14 years? God.”

“Hm?” Hugh turns to look at him with a questioning expression.

“13 years in College, could’ve done with less.”

“That’s impressive. Even in my book.”

“Meh. I mean I learnt things. But at some point I had to start explaining stuff to the professors. And then it was years and years of research. Brought it on myself though-” Paul’s sentence seems to end abruptly. He takes a few longer steps and jumps from the path to the grass.

Hugh tries to contain his amusement when he realizes what Paul’s so excited over. It’s the same tree trunk covered in mushrooms he’d seen earlier. He steps closer as Paul inspects the species closely.

“And who are you?” Hugh hears him mumble. 

Paul whips a weird-looking container out of his pocket. It flicks open and he picks up a miniature tool of some kind. 

_Oh my god_ , Hugh thinks, _he carries a mushroom kit around_ . _That’s adorable._

From the kit, Paul folds open a small glass container, picks up a tiny mushroom with his tool and places it in. He looks very happy with himself.

When he finally turns back to face Hugh, he's met with a curious smile.

“What,” Paul huffs, his brows furrowing and cheeks blushing. “It’s not weird. Shut up.”

“I didn’t say anything!” Hugh laughs and runs to catch up to Paul.

Hugh’s trying to concentrate. It’s really quite interesting how almost any organ can be replicated and augmented into a human body. Even some functions of the brain can be imitated. And while this is more about the technology of the parts itself, it seems relevant…

His thoughts are interrupted by Paul’s hand wandering on his inner thigh. It tickles his senses more than appropriate in public. Touch only seems to excite the hand more. Hugh playfully slaps it away once, but it’s soon back, and even more distracting.

They flee to the privacy of their hotel room as soon as the panel ends.

After intricate explorations of each other’s bodies, studying details gone unnoticed before, enjoying new sounds and the sensation of their bodies pressing together, the two of them lay on the bed. Hugh is laying on his chest, on top of the sheets, and Paul’s taking in the sight of him, his bare back glistening with hints of sweat.

Paul exhales slowly and shifts to a more upright position. He stares at the back of Hugh’s neck and wants to touch his hair, but doesn’t. He gets up instead.

“Gonna take a shower.”

“Hm,” Hugh mumbles and lifts his body up.

Paul enters the bathroom, leaving the door slightly open. He takes a quick look in the mirror and shuffles through some products before stepping into the shower.

The water hits his chest, streams down his arms as he leans his head back, water hitting his face, leaving his hair on little strands on the forehead.

Hugh’s leaning to the doorframe, watching, head tilted slightly to the side, arms crossed in front of him.

Paul is taken aback by the notion he’s standing there, his eyes quickly turning to him as he realizes, his mouth just a tiny bit open. 

“Can I come in?” Hugh asks, taking a step towards the stall.

“Yeah,” Paul nods. His eyes are locked with Hugh’s as he walks closer and steps in. The stall is bigger than most, but they’re still very close, the water now hitting Hugh’s back and droplets bouncing on to Paul’s skin.

Hugh smiles gently, lets the water run through his hair, then leans in for a soft kiss. Paul smiles back, eyes closed.

They wash each other’s hair, laughing and occasionally planting little kisses on wet skin.

Paul turns Hugh around to wash his back, and as he gently grabs him by the shoulder, he’s met with the scar he had discovered earlier. He’d traced it with both his hands and lips, but it wasn’t a situation to start a conversation in. 

“How’d you get this?” He asks, softly touching the skin.

“Oh, that,” Hugh looks down on the scar. “I was hiking. Long time ago.”

Paul just hums in response, running a sponge up and down Hugh’s back.

“On the cliffs of Cabo Rojo, back home. I was sixteen, and positive I could climb the cliffs by myself. And I could, for a while. Until I fell.”

Paul furrows his brows. “You never got it removed.”

“No,” Hugh smiles as he turns to face Paul. “It reminds me of why I do what I do.”

He’s met with a questioning look from Paul. 

“A doctor, Dr. Kashkooli found me. She climbed down the same cliff and saved my life. It’s why I decided to go to Med School.”

Paul isn’t sure what to say, so he just nods, and Hugh rinses off the rest of the soap.

“Bless her,” Paul mumbles as Hugh turns off the water and responds with a kind smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How's everyone coping with no Disco this week? I know I'm coping by reading and writing fics. Btw, some info that's not canon I took from real life, like Anthony's home town Chicago, and I'll use their real birthdays later. I'm really loving writing this. Hope you continue to enjoy it too! Feedback and all comments are deeply appreciated ♥️


	9. Perfect

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rating: G  
> Ok so I was reading Honey Mushroom and I might've taken even more inspiration from the series than I realized. I knew I had accepted a lot of it as my headcanon, but I hope it's not too similar.  
> Cheers!

After getting ready together in front of the large bathroom mirror, they’re headed to the hotel lounge for the informal part of the conference. They’re both wearing a suit, Paul a classic navy and Hugh a lighter grey with a vest underneath. They hold hands for the duration of the elevator ride.

The lounge is classy, dark walls with wood paneling, with tall windows on one wall overlooking the city. It’s the opposite direction from their room window’s view, and you can see the ocean sparkle in the distance. 

They’re greeted at the door, and as they step in, Paul instinctively finds a spot near the wall, as far away from the centre of the room as possible. He’s tapping the back of his hand nervously.

“Paul,” Hugh lays a hand reassuringly on Paul’s back. “Relax.”

Before he can say anything further, Paul’s grabbed two glasses of Champagne from a drink tray passing by. He hands one to Hugh. He takes it, smiling cautiously.

Paul sighs. If he was with Straal, he would usually take care of the talking. If he was alone, he would stay for the time that was absolutely necessary before leaving. But Hugh enjoyed these kinds of events more than he did, and had been quite excited about tonight, so he would do his best to have a good time.

It does mean finishing his drink rather quickly, before looking around the room, scanning the space and the people in it. Paul recognises a few faces, but can barely recall any names. 

His gaze returns to Hugh, who’s already waving at someone. Paul chuckles silently. A stranger in Starfleet uniform approaches them, and Paul’s craving for another drink. Hugh touches his arm softly, as in asking him not to go anywhere.

“Doctor Culber,” the stranger greets Hugh. “I didn’t know you were here.”

“I’m not on duty,” he answers with a smile as they shake hands.

Paul sees the stranger nod and ‘ahh’ in acknowledgement, and he zones out of the conversation for a moment.

“Oh yes, the displacement-active spores...” The stranger starts enthusiastically, now looking straight at Paul.

“The displacement-activated spore hub drive,” Paul corrects. 

“Yes, yes. Very fascinating indeed.”

Paul just nods, but Hugh’s looking at him encouragingly.

“Thank you,” he manages to go on. They talk for a couple of minutes, before the stranger excuses themselves, pats Hugh on the shoulder and walks away.

Paul’s face is stuck in a frown as his eyes follow the officer leaving the scene.

“It wasn’t that bad,” Hugh laughs.

“What?”

“You’re frowning,” Hugh points out in a gentle tone, almost whispering. Paul forces his face to relax and sighs. Sometimes he wishes he could contain his emotions better, but they tend to show on his face instantly. And Hugh especially reads him like an open book.

“Can we get another drink?” Paul asks, his look an unusual mix of dread and playful.

“Sure,” Hugh replies, linking his arm with Paul’s.

They head to the bar, order drinks and move aside, next to the windows. Hugh spots a balcony further away from the crowd, takes Paul’s hand and leads him there.

A group is leaving the balcony as they enter, one of them giving Paul a nod as a greeting. He recognizes the person from an earlier conference, but is glad they agree to leave the interaction at that. 

Hugh’s still holding Paul’s hand. He looks up to the sky and tries to figure out the constellations. He could pinpoint a few stars maybe, but being on a new planet, it all looks quite foreign.

“Who was the Starfleet guy?” Paul asks.

Hugh chuckles. “Everyone I work with is a ‘Starfleet guy’. He’s Lt. Holloway. We served together on my previous posting.”

“Right,” Paul mumbles, seemingly lost in his thoughts.

The music from the lounge is quieter, but still clear out on the balcony. The song transitions from one melancholy tune to another. Hugh’s eyes spark up and he turns to Paul with a big smile on his face.

“What?” Paul asks, confused and a little concerned.

“I love this song,” Hugh says, taking both Paul’s hands into his own.

Paul stares at him for a second, glances around and sighs.

“Okay,” he smiles, wraps one arm around Hugh, pulling their bodies closer in the chilly night.

Hugh smiles against his shoulder as they sway to the music, enough distance between them and most of the crowd for Paul to feel comfortable. 

Paul isn’t usually one to dance, especially in public, but he knows it’ll make Hugh happy. For that, he’s willing to sacrifice his own patterns he used to cling onto so promptly. Many of them seem kind of petty now. Paul knows he’s been living selfishly, only caring about his own needs and wants – or so he thought. Now, confronted with sensations and emotions he had forgotten about, he wonders if he at some point started to neglect even his own needs.

Paul has never stayed at these events until the end. He’d always find an excuse to leave, if there was anyone who’d notice him gone anyway.

This time though, he didn’t care where or how he spent his time, as long as it was with Hugh. They had danced on the balcony for a while before it got too cold. They’d grabbed another round of drinks and soon Paul had found himself surrounded by more people than he’d be comfortable around sober.

Not that they were there for him, surely. Hugh was much more outgoing and charismatic than he was, and his presence attracted people. Paul vaguely remembers getting sucked into quite the conversation about astrobiology with someone himself, but doesn’t recall any details.

They’d only left the venue when the organizers announced they’d need everyone out within half an hour, shared a drunken kiss on the elevator and fell asleep as soon as they hit the bed.

* * *

The next morning, Paul awakes to a notification from his PADD, and finds Hugh asleep on top of him, his head against his chest, raising and lowering in sync with his breaths.

Paul runs his fingers through Hugh’s hair, looks out the window, taking a moment to adjust to the light. Both of them are returning to what he guesses are their habitats, if not homes, today. They have a few more hours together, but it doesn’t seem like enough.

Hugh shifts on top of him and clutches onto his sides, indicating some degree of consciousness. Paul runs his hands along Hugh’s back and kisses him on the top of his head.

“Morning,” he greets, still groggy himself.

Hugh leans on his arms and lifts himself up enough to face Paul. “Morning,” he replies, plants a kiss on Paul’s lips and flumps back on top of him. 

“Ouch,” Paul grunts at the sudden pressure.

“Am I too heavy?” Hugh asks, but doesn’t make an effort to move away. Rather, he wraps around Paul more tightly.

“No. You’re perfect,” Paul blurts out, wonders if it’s too much too soon. But Hugh just chuckles happily against his chest.


	10. Report

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rating: G  
> Shorter "in-between" chapter.

“Well?” Straal insists. “How was it?”

It’s the day after Paul returned from Betazed, and it’s far too early for Justin’s exhausting curiosity. Paul sips on his coffee as they sit at a table in the break room of their lab, about to start their day of work.

“It was fine,” Paul speaks unenthusiastically, giving Straal a mean look. “I gave the presentation, everyone hated it, they threw eggs at me.”

Justin looks at him, unimpressed, and chuckles.

“You’re impossible, Paul.”

“I told you I talked to a sponsor. They came to me right after the presentation. I sent you the deets,” Paul gestures at the PADD laying on the table next to Straal, annoyed.

Straal rolls his eyes, opens his mouth in an attempt to say something, but just ends up looking around, bemused.

“I mean,” he starts quite loudly, then lowers his voice a little, leaning over the table, demanding. “Who did you take with you? How was **_that_ **?”

Paul looks at him, down at his PADD again and takes another sip of coffee.

“You needed my invitation and asked if I knew if the hotel room could be switched. C’mon, Paul.” Straal insists with an awkward laugh. His expression then turns more serious. “Or... did it not go well?”

Paul looks up at him, a hint of a smile on his face.

“It went well,” he says as he gets up from the table and walks away.

* * *

A few hours later, lightyears away, Hugh sits in a cafeteria among a group of friends. All three are his colleagues from the medical department on the star base. Nathan Knoxx and Alyssa Jeong, junior doctors he’d met here, and Tracy Pollard, his friend since medical school.

“He’s, umm, complex,” Hugh remarks, resulting in a laugh from his friends. “But very caring.”

“Isn’t he a doctor too?” Alyssa voices.

“Well, not a medical doctor. He has doctorates in biology and... physics, I think.”

“Wow, a double,” Tracy comments with an amiable smirk. She’s familiar with Hugh’s preferences in men, having known him for years. Every now and then, he manages to find someone who’s even smarter than he is, at least on paper. Not many have the combination of practical and emotional intelligence of Hugh Culber.

“Where do you find these guys?” Knoxx asks. “He can’t be bad looking either, knowing you.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Hugh asks with pretend hurt in his voice. 

Knoxx laughs. “You have standards. And I can’t blame you.”

“Damn right I do,” Hugh grins.


	11. A Call

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rating: T  
> Warnings: Angst, mention of blood.

Paul wraps up another day at the lab, wishes the kiddos good night as he leaves the garden and heads home. He’s in a pretty good mood and perks up even more when he thinks about talking to Hugh soon.

Once in his quarters, he grabs himself a glass of orange juice and settles down on the couch. He props a PADD on a stand on the coffee table and calls Hugh. The line rings for longer than usual.

When the video feed appears on screen, Hugh is sitting almost out of the frame, face buried in his hands. There are traces of blood on his uniform sleeves. He sits in the dark and shivers.

Paul’s eyebrows furrow in worry. He’s not sure what to say. He wants to hug Hugh tightly, for as long as he needs, console him and tell him it’s going to be okay.

“Hey...” Paul starts, voice unsure. Hugh doesn’t react. Paul picks the PADD up, as if bringing it closer to him could eradicate the physical distance between the two.

“Hugh,” he utters. “What happened?”

Hugh shifts his position, lowers his hands to only cover his mouth as he stares out of the frame, eyes puffy and red.

Paul feels his stomach turn. Hugh looks devastated, and he hates it. Hates that he doesn’t know what to say. Hates that he isn’t there for him.

“We, uhh,” Hugh starts, voice shaky. “There was an accident on the base.”

Paul’s eyes flicker and his thoughts race.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah,” Hugh reassures quickly. “I mean, no, but...”

“Of course, sorry,” Paul mutters, staring at the heartbroken expression on Hugh’s face. There’s a moment of silence. “Can I do anything?”

Hugh looks up to face Paul for the first time during the call. He thinks for a while, then shakes his head.

“I don’t think so.”

Paul bites his lip. “I’ll be here,” he nods and wonders if he should continue the sentence. 

Hugh gives him a look that’s shaped like a smile, but his eyes are teary and sad.

“If you want to talk about it. Or if you need anything,” Paul goes on.

Hugh nods silently.

“Thank you. Seeing you helps.”

For a while, they just sit there, in silence, both lost in their own minds. 

“I should change...” Hugh mutters, staring at his hands, realizing he’s still in his uniform, covered in stains. “Shower.”

“We can leave the line open.” Paul doesn’t want Hugh to be alone right now. They often keep the line open as they go on their days, to keep each other company.

Hugh glimpses at the screen and nods with a faint smile, then disappears from the view.

Fifteen minutes later or so, Hugh’s back on Paul’s screen, wearing a pair of Starfleet pajama pants and running a hand through his damp hair. He sits down on the couch and sighs. Paul smiles at him gently, appreciating the view, but most of all pleased to see Hugh a little more relaxed. He puts down the article he was reading and leans slightly closer to the PADD.

Hugh grabs a blanket from the back of the couch and wraps it around himself, half burying his face in it. Paul smiles at him wistfully. He wouldn’t mind sharing a blanket right now.

Hugh flops down on the couch, adjusts a throw pillow to lean on to and stares at the ceiling for a while. He turns his head to meet Paul’s eyes through the screen.

“Wanna watch a movie?”

“Sure.”

Anything to take the man’s mind off the horrible day he’s had. Anything to spend time with him. And better still, if it helps distract both of them from the physical distance in between.


	12. Saint

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rating: E  
> smut :)  
> (Updated the rating to E. Just some good sexy times.)  
> Edit: Forgot to add the illustration!

It’s another weekend on another planet, in another city, in another hotel. Paul isn’t too focused on the details. He can barely even remember the trip here, other than it took forever, and the anticipation of seeing Hugh again definitely didn’t help him relax. The exhaustion vanishes along with all rational thoughts as he reaches the door matching his keycard.

Heart rate already elevated, Paul opens the door and steps into the dimly lit space. He finds Hugh standing there, wearing his uniform trousers and nothing else, except his gorgeous smile, opening his arms and inviting Paul to a soft, sweet embrace. 

Hugh’s scent surrounds Paul and clouds his senses, his body warm against him. Paul kisses Hugh’s neck, then leans back, cups the back of his head and brings their lips together. He opens his lips and lets his tongue wander around Hugh’s mouth, finally able to satisfy the need to touch the man.

His hands move on to trace the sculpted form of Hugh’s chest, studying each crevice with care. Hugh grabs Paul by his lapels, reminding them he’s still fully clothed.

Paul hastily lets go, gets rid of his jacket and kicks off his shoes. 

Hugh’s backing further into the room with a teasing smile on his face. Paul catches up with him, seizes his hips and pushes him against a desk, kissing him eagerly.

Hugh kisses back, his hands holding onto the desk to keep his body upright. They separate slightly. Hugh bites his lip and pushes himself up to sit on the edge of the desk. Paul smirks at him, excited for whatever happens next. 

Hugh pulls Paul in for more, simultaneously opening his shirt with his hands. He pushes the shirt down from Paul’s shoulders, and it’s left bunched up at his elbows. Paul runs his hands down Hugh’s back, making him shudder as a small laugh escapes his lips. Hugh tilts his head to look deep into Paul’s eyes, making his heart fill with affection and lust.

“Hey,” Hugh whispers, running his hands through Paul’s hair.

“Hi,” Paul replies under his breath, locking his lips with Hugh’s again. He’s not in the mood for conversation.

Paul fiddles with the zipper of Hugh’s uniform pants. He gets it open, Hugh leans on his hands and pushes his hips up, assisting Paul in removing the pants completely. As soon as they’re off, Paul gets down on his knees in front of Hugh, their bodies aligning perfectly. He sinks his fingers into Hugh’s thighs and plants little kisses where the skin transitions to dark, tight curls.

Hugh exhales shakily at the sight of his muscular thighs framing Paul’s pale skin as he goes down on him. He moans at the sensation of Paul’s lips around him, tightly latching onto the edge of the desk.

Paul swirls his tongue around Hugh, moves his head up and down, his hands caressing the skin on Hugh’s hips and thighs. Hugh moves one hand to wander around Paul’s hair, encouraging his movements. Paul’s lips move up along his length, releasing him with a wet sound.

“I missed you,” Hugh exhales. Paul looks up at him through his pale lashes.

His gaze moves back down, and he pushes on the back of Hugh’s thighs. This forces him to partly lay on the desk, his upper back and head against the wall.

Paul’s hands are propping him up where thighs meet his ass, thumbs gently stretching the skin. His hot tongue slides in between the cheeks and teases Hugh with a tiny lick, making his eyes roll back. Paul smiles against the sensitive skin and runs his tongue over Hugh’s entrance with increased pressure.

The mouth and the hands continue teasing, planting kisses and licks and touches everywhere but where Hugh would mostly want them.

“Paul…” His voice is desperate, but who cares, they haven’t been able to touch each other in over a month.

Paul responds with a wet, dragging lick that briefly reaches inside Hugh and continues to suck on his balls, eventually releasing him with a smacking sound. He draws back and stands up, still holding onto Hugh’s ass, but reaching one arm to lift him up as well.

“Come on, then,” Paul grins.

Hugh’s back hits the mattress as Paul pushes him down, hovering on top of him, kissing his pecks, sucking on his nipples. Suddenly he lifts his head up, as in looking for something. Hugh points to the nightstand. Paul chuckles, reaches for the lube and grins.

“You were prepared,” he purrs, leaning in for a hungry kiss.

“Mmh,” Hugh hums between kisses. Waiting for Paul after weeks of separation had been challenging. He had thought about getting started alone, but was able to resist the temptation. And to be honest, this is much more satisfying. Paul now enters a finger wet with lube, determined, his body hot on top of him, breath trembling, leaving a trail of bite marks on his neck. Hugh throws his head back as he lets out a heavy moan. 

Paul leans on his free arm and hovers over Hugh, positioning himself for access to the beautiful view, but also control. He bends a leg and pushes it under Hugh’s body, lifting his hips up. He stares right into his lover with a piercing look, pulls almost all the way out and pushes in again, this time with two fingers.

His expression is serious, concentrated on the task at hand. The blonde hair’s messier than usual from all the touching Hugh did earlier, his lips are parted as his breathing gets heavier, and he’s just so beautiful. His fingers move skillfully, separating and curling and pushing in deep again.

Hugh grinds his hips against Paul’s hand. He grins, pushes on the back of Hugh’s thigh, exposing him further and adds a third finger.

Hugh lets out a small gasp and feels the fluster on his cheeks. He continues to be surprised by the sheer confidence the man has in bed. 

Paul’s fingers do a few more pushes, and then he leans in for a kiss. The fingers dig deeper as his body shifts, making Hugh moan into the kiss.

“You good?” he whispers before lifting halfway up to watch Hugh’s expression.

“Yeah,” Hugh replies under his breath.

“Ready?”

Hugh nods maybe a little too enthusiastically, but gets rewarded with another long and satisfying kiss before Paul twists his fingers carefully as they exit.

Paul’s gaze trails down Hugh’s chest and between them as he grabs the lube again. A hefty amount of it gushes out to his hand and he takes both Hugh and himself in his hand and revives the eye contact. Hugh shudders. Paul sees his every expression, every breath he takes. His strokes get faster and he leans in for a kiss, barely closing his eyes. He moves his hands to hold Hugh’s hips, pulls him closer and the tip of his dick is pulsating against Hugh’s ass.

Hugh’s legs wrap around Paul. Paul pushes in deep, filling him up completely. He stares at Hugh, pupils wide, and stays still for a moment. Hugh wraps his hands around Paul’s arms, squeezing softly and signaling for him to go on.

Paul breathes out, bites his lip and starts thrusting his hips back and forth, slowly at first. His grip on Hugh’s hips is almost too strong, nails sinking into the skin. But Hugh feels too good to care, the pressure adding to the sensation.

Paul’s hand moves around Hugh’s neck, making him gasp, and he thrusts faster.

Hugh’s lost control over his body completely. He moves exactly the way Paul dictates, occasionally shaking and moaning under his touch. Every time his eyes close, they open to find deep blue eyes staring right into him. 

Paul arches over Hugh and presses their foreheads together. Hugh can feel Paul’s heartbeat echo throughout his own body and hear his breathing get quicker. Hugh clings tightly to Paul’s back, and with another thrust a moan escapes both of them. Paul’s brows crease, his cheeks glow red and he’s no longer able to keep his eyes open.

“Paul...” Hugh whispers in his ear. He feels so good, and although he’s out of breath, he wants to let Paul know. “You feel amazing.”

Instantly, Paul’s body jolts, hitting Hugh in just the right angle. He moans loudly, clutches onto Hugh, and a warm surge washes over both of them. Paul’s cum fills Hugh up, and he’s not far from completion himself. Paul lets out a long, shaky exhale, pulls out and lowers himself to go down on Hugh. His mouth is wet, eager, and feels fucking heavenly. 

“Oh, Paul,” Hugh moans. His body trembles against the bed, his cock hitting the back of Paul’s mouth. The man doesn’t yield. He stays relatively still, welcoming Hugh into his mouth, clinging onto his hips. Hugh’s eyes roll back. He’s close. He thrusts his hips up one more time, cries loudly, and Paul religiously swallows every drop.


	13. What am I to them?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rating: G  
> Happy valentine's day loves ♥️

On their last night on Tyrellia, Paul can’t sleep. Or maybe he doesn’t want to. He watches Hugh, blissfully unaware of the world around him. Paul had cuddled him while he fell asleep, and since then just laid there awake. 

The past two days have been hectic, even draining at times. On the first morning, Paul had woken up grumpy, thanks to way too little sleep after a full day of traveling and the… activities the night before. He’d forced himself out of bed, went through his morning routines in a haze and made his way through various meetings. For some reason it couldn’t be arranged that there would be just one lecture, instead he had to give the same pitch 5 times to different small audiences. One of them was delayed, there were technical difficulties and who knows what, so he even missed his lunch date with Hugh.

He’d come back to the hotel room in the afternoon, found Hugh watching a documentary and just flumped down next to him. He’d known to wrap his arms around Paul and just hold him while he emptied his mind.

The next day, Paul had a meeting with the sponsor he’d met on their last trip. That’d gone surprisingly well, and they’d agreed on the details of their cooperation. He’d been done with the work stuff around 2PM after responding to some mail and exchanging reports with Straal.

They’d spent the rest of the day sightseeing. Tyrellia has no atmosphere, so all the structures are either contained in massive glass spheres or connected to each other with long tunnels. They’d taken a ride to a famous location inside a natural cave system, where different minerals and layers of rock were exposed in the walls of the caves, creating quite the visual spectacle. The walls were lit up dramatically and some pieces of rock were carved into statues for the curious tourists. Of course. But it was still interesting enough. And Hugh had held his hand for the entire tour.

They’d eaten a great meal in a restaurant basically hanging in the air above the red, rocky surface of the planet, while wondering how this seemingly hostile planet had become home to such an advanced society. 

Back at the hotel, Hugh had kissed him so earnestly it made his heart skip a beat. He’d pinned him to the floor and taken him right there.

He’d made sure Hugh was okay, cuddled him and showered him with kisses. Then they’d showered for real.

For the rest of the night, they’d laid in bed and talked. Not really about anything in particular, just about things that came to mind.

Hugh had started getting drowsy, and although he’d insisted they’d stay up for a while longer, his answers were reduced to just ‘mm’s very quickly. He’d laid his head on Paul’s chest and finally admitted he needed to sleep after drifting off once. But it was good to know he enjoyed their conversations as well.

Paul lifts himself to sit on the bed, wrapping the blanket around his lower body.

Hugh looks so beautiful. Paul wonders if he feels as much affection towards him as he does. It’s complicated when it’s only your second date, but you’ve known each other for months. Is it fair to count a whole weekend as one date though? Paul admits he doesn’t really know how these things work. His previous relationships have hardly been the most conventional. He knows he feels strongly about Hugh. Maybe he should tell him that?

But in order to do that, Paul should be prepared for any kind of response, and he’s not. He’d rather not bring up anything that could end their relationship ahead of time. 

Well, as if there was any predetermined duration that already existed. Or maybe there was? Paul shakes his head. He has the tendency to think a lot, fast, often resulting in scenarios well beyond everyday life. But right now, it’s irrelevant whether ‘destiny’ exists. He does thank the series of coincidences that has led them here, though.

Hugh shifts and hums in his sleep. Paul smiles, trying to make out as many details of his face in the dark as he can. His expression is relaxed, lips a tiny bit apart, soft lines visible at the corners of his eyes and mouth. Paul’s reminded of how much he loves Hugh’s smile.

Ah, fuck. Is he getting too attached? Maybe for Hugh, this is just a bit of fun. Even if it isn’t, very few relationships last _forever_. More often than not, someone ends up getting hurt. Paul hates the thought of hurting Hugh even more than he fears getting hurt himself. His eyebrows crease at the thought.

Paul sighs. He looks around in the dark room before returning to Hugh. He decides to try sleeping again. He lays on his side, pressing softly against Hugh’s back and wrapping him in his arms. By the morning, Paul will have pushed most of tonight’s thoughts far back in his mind.


	14. Metropol

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rating: G
> 
> It's night, but tbh I just wanna start sharing this part of the story with you asap. It's New York! Third date! I am excited.  
> The chapters are getting quite a lot longer. Let me know what you think.  
> (And, I realized after I'd written this, Star Trek Universe wouldn't have wealth gaps, at least not on the current level, but I left some referring to that in. I hope it makes sense in this context.)

It’s a Thursday afternoon in New York, although Paul’s head isn’t exactly wired to the right time yet, having travelled for almost 14 hours straight. He’s taken two weeks of leave to spend time with Hugh and to visit his family. It’s been a couple years since he saw Earth altogether.

The blue planet is as beautiful as ever. No matter how long one spends in space, it’s always good to come home.

Paul watches the clouds slowly dance above the ocean as he waits for his turn in the passenger terminal orbiting Earth. One last checkpoint, and his journey’s over. Warm feelings flush over him as he thinks about holding Hugh in his arms again.

The line moves pretty quickly, and soon it’s Paul’s turn. He places his passport on the counter, and the young officer smiles at him brightly.

“Welcome home,” they send him off to be transported to the surface.

Central Station is buzzing with people, which doesn’t come as a surprise. Paul does his best to stay out of everyone’s way, but still bumps into at least two people on his way out. Hugh said he’d be waiting for him outside the entrance, and that’s probably the only reason he makes the whole way out without snapping at anyone.

As Paul steps out, sunlight surrounds him with its warmth, and he realizes how different this sunlight feels to the one on Deneva. He looks around, but can’t see very far beyond the mass of people coming and going. He makes his way to his left and is clear of the immediate rush. 

Hugh’s eyes meet him across the street. Paul’s face automatically turns into a smile, as he promptly crosses the street (nothing drives here anymore) and folds his arms around Hugh. They breath each other in, holding on tight, and Hugh’s hands go on to carefully run through the hair on Paul’s neck.

“Hey there,” Hugh greets blissfully.

“Hi,” Paul answers, squinting his eyes, still getting used to the amount of light around him after a long space flight. 

“You must be tired,” Hugh notes and looks at him with an expression that’s part Hugh, part Doctor Culber.

“A little yes,” Paul admits, flashing a smile. “Worth it.”

They share a soft kiss and stare at each other for a while. Hugh nods his head sideways, indicating they should get going. Paul grabs the travel case he had abandoned beside him, and they start walking.

There are still a lot of people around, lots of noise and lots of distractions. Paul could easily find it overwhelming, but Hugh holding his hand calms him down. He follows the skyline with his eyes as they walk. 

“I forgot how Earth feels. Smells, even,” Paul mutters. Different places have distinctive smells that Paul notices, and they vary on Earth too, depending on where you are. Here, it’s composed of fresh air from the sea mixed with the metallic tones of the city. Even though Earth pollution is significantly lower than in hundreds of years, you can still smell the presence of all things man-made. Every now and then, as they pass little shops and cafes lining the street, there’s a whiff of flowery scents or the aroma of baked goods and coffee. “Even the sunlight feels different.”

Hugh looks at him with a smile.

“I noticed that too. How quickly you get used to living in sterile space.”

Right. It must be even worse for Hugh, who’s worked on space stations for years now. At least Paul still gets to experience sunshine on Deneva.

“Sterile spaces in space...” Paul murmurs, and Hugh lets out a laugh.

“The constant cleanliness and emptiness can get uncomfortable at times. Sure, there’s always recreational spaces and gardens and all that... but it’s not like this,” Hugh smiles with a sense of wonder in his voice.

Paul nods. “You came yesterday?” He asks.

“Yeah. It was late though.”

“Right.”

Hugh still has an apartment in Manhattan, despite having been on postings elsewhere for most of his career. He’d said he liked coming back to something permanent, as often as he could. Paul glances at the buildings nearest to them. Most of them seem to be office and government buildings, some private and Starfleet owned residential buildings. The benefits must be decent for a Starfleet Doctor.

“Hm. They’re not bad,” Hugh replies.

Damn, did he say that out loud? Paul feels a fluster on his cheeks.

“I’ve been lucky,” Hugh continues. “I know that. When you go where Starfleet tells you to go, they also take good care of you.”

His tone is gentle and he’s smiling at Paul with a very honest smile. He’s always so calm and charming, whatever bullshit comment Paul lets slip before thinking properly. 

Hugh stops and slightly gestures towards the entrance of the building they’re next to. 

“Here it is,” he says, hovering his hand near the lock pad. Paul yawns.

“Did you sleep at all on the shuttle?” He asks as the doors swing open.

“Yes,” Paul answers. Only for an hour, maybe. “But I was trying not to, given the time here.”

Hugh hums as they walk to the elevator. 

Paul is too tired to realize this will be the first time they’ll be together in a private space, instead of a hotel room. Paul has never even seen this apartment on a video call.

It’s a nice apartment in an older building. Not a huge space, but not tiny either. The hallway from the entrance, surrounded by dark grey walls, leads to a lighter living space with an open floor to ceiling window. One wall of the living space acts as a kitchen (with an actual stove, Paul notes), and the room comes together around a sleek L-shaped sofa.

Hugh tells Paul he can put his things anywhere. Past the living space, there’s a wide sliding door separating it from the bedroom. It’s furnished minimally, mostly in different shades of grey, and there’s a dark red brick wall behind the bed – most likely just for show. Paul doesn’t have much on him anyway, so he places his travel case next to the dresser and his PADD on top of it.

A framed photograph catches his eye. It’s Hugh, younger, maybe 20, surrounded by relatives. He’s holding hands with a woman that may be his grandmother. Everyone’s smiling wide. He spends a while looking at all the other pictures on the dresser and a few framed on the wall. Most are with family (those are his younger siblings, probably), and some are from the Academy.

Paul fights off another yawn. He steps back into the living space, finding Hugh grabbing things from the fridge, plating them carefully. He watches for a moment.

“You actually cook?” He asks, squinting his eyes almost mischievously.

“Yes,” Hugh laughs. “I told you that, didn’t I?”

He turns from the kitchen holding a tray of assorted salty snacks, walks to the coffee table and puts it down. 

“I thought you... Meant...” Paul struggles with his words. Hugh smiles at him and pats the sofa next to him.

“I always felt cooking connected me to my roots,” Hugh says as Paul sits next to him.

Paul nods slowly. It makes sense. Some of his most fond memories from Earth have to do with his grandmother’s cookings. He just never got into it himself.

Hugh places his hands on Paul’s thigh and looks at him gently.

“If you’re hungrier than this, I can make-,”

“No, no,” Paul hurries to say, taking Hugh’s hands into his own. “This is perfect.”

This earns him a kiss on the cheek.

“Do you want something to drink?” Hugh asks and gets up.

“Hm, no thank you,” Paul answers, inspecting the tray of foods in front of him. Everything looks delicious.

“Really? Do you mind if I have something?”

“Go ahead.”

Hugh gets his drink from the synthesizer, walks back around the sofa and places a glass of water in front of Paul. 

  
  


Not long after, Paul has tasted everything there is on the tray, making inquiries about some of the foods unfamiliar to him, and emptied his glass of water. He leans his head on Hugh’s shoulder. The sun is setting beyond the skyline, some stray streaks of orange light shining in from the windows.

Paul listens to Hugh’s heartbeat, inhales his scent and closes his eyes. Hugh’s stroking his hair gently, making Paul blissfully doze off.

“Paul. Honey?” 

Is Paul dreaming Hugh’s warmth and scent around him again? His face twitches and he tries lifting up his arm, only to be met with Hugh’s physical presence. The hand settles in on Hugh’s waist. 

“Hey,” Hugh whispers. “You shouldn’t be sleeping like that.”

Paul grunts. What does he mean ‘like that’? He was extremely comfortable. But he knows Hugh’s right, as usual.

Paul lifts his gaze just enough to peek up at Hugh. 

“I wasn’t sleeping.”

“Right,” Hugh chuckles and pats him on the back. “Let’s go to bed.”

Paul lifts his upper body reluctantly and looks around. “It can’t be even 8PM yet.”

“No, it’s not,” Hugh confirms, takes Paul’s hands and stands up. “But apparently you need to sleep.”

He pulls Paul up with him and pushes him slightly towards the bedroom. Paul’s too tired to fight back, although he would rather not be wasting any of their precious time sleeping.

“Will you come with me?” Paul asks with a hoarse voice as Hugh sits him down on the bed. He’s looking at him with the best puppy eyes he can manage half asleep.

Hugh smiles and pulls Paul’s shirt off over his head. “Okay.”

Paul manages to shed his pants and crawl under the sheets. He makes whiny noises as Hugh circles around the bed, grabbing a PADD from the desk in the corner and sits on the opposite side of the bed. 

He tugs Hugh by the back of his shirt. 

“Come.”

Hugh huffs at him amusedly. “Wait a second,” he put emphasis on his words playfully.

Paul might have fallen asleep again before the bed shifts and Hugh settles in with him. Paul snuggles closer, throwing an arm around Hugh as he pulls the blanket to their shoulders. Hugh’s hands play in Paul’s hair and his breath is slow and steady. Paul falls asleep feeling more content than he has in years.


	15. Light Commotion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rating: G

When Paul wakes up, it’s dark. He's still sleepy and it's warm and comfy in the bed. He expects to find Hugh still in his arms, but he's standing by the window instead, looking out into the night.

Paul’s brows furrow, he blinks a few times and forces himself up. Hugh hears him and glances at him over his shoulder, saying nothing.

Paul examines what he can see of Hugh with his back turned to him, unsure what to do. He seems calm, but there must be some reason he’s up. Paul takes a look at the clock on the nightstand. 03:02. 

“Everything okay?” Paul asks softly, stepping closer and cautiously placing a hand on Hugh’s waist.

“Hm,” Hugh hums as an answer. He can’t possibly see Paul’s face, but it’s like he can tell his expression's turning even more concerned. “Don’t worry, I was just... having a lot of thoughts.”

Paul nods and wraps around Hugh’s body, leaning his chin on the man’s shoulder. The city below is filled with lights and commotion despite the late hour.

“Wanna talk about it?” Paul asks. Hugh’s silent for a moment. “Am I taking up too much space?” He continues with real concern in his voice.

Hugh laughs softly and turns to face Paul. “No, it’s not that. It’s not you.” He looks at the bed, a crease appearing between his eyebrows. “It is weird having someone here, though.”

Paul’s head tilts in confusion.

“It’s mostly been a place just for me. I mean, I’ve had visitors from time to time but… The last time I did, things didn’t end so well,” Hugh says with a melancholy smile. Paul’s stuck staring at him. There’s hurt in Hugh’s eyes, and he’d do anything to make it go away. Did this bastard hurt you? Where can I find them?

Is this how he should feel right now? Protective?

Hugh places a hand on Paul’s chest and chuckles.

“It was years ago. I should be over it by now.”

“No,” Paul shakes his head. “There’s no time limit for that.”

“Mm.”

“Are you okay?”

Hugh smiles at this thoughtful, kind man. He wouldn’t have suggested staying at his place, if he didn’t have a good feeling about Paul. It’s easy being around him. He can tell they share that sentiment from the way Paul’s willing to share different sides of his personality with him. 

“Yeah. Just tired.”

“Okay.”

They understand each other and respect each other’s decisions and needs. Despite all that, Hugh can’t shake the thought that anything could still happen. 

He wraps his arms around Paul, leans against his shoulder and hugs tight.

“You know I’m happy you’re here, right?” Hugh mumbles into the hug.

“I know,” Paul smiles. “I’m happy too.”

Paul closes his eyes as they stay still for a moment, silently embracing in the night. The air starts feeling cold, and Hugh pulls back to face Paul. He smiles a weary smile.

“You think you can sleep?” Paul asks as Hugh's hands slide down his arms and take his hands.

“I’ll try.”

Hugh lets go of Paul and crawls into bed. Paul follows.

“Can I do something?” Paul asks as they settle under the covers. Hugh wraps his arms around him and presses his face against his neck.

“This.”


	16. The Woman

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rating: G  
> Finally!  
> (I go to full art nerd mode. But everything I wrote is true as far as I'm concerned. Hope you enjoy!)

“Remember when I told you about the exhibition at the MET?” Hugh asks over coffee the following morning. “You still up for that?”

Paul lifts his gaze and thinks for a second before nodding. “Yeah, sure.”

“Do you want to go, or you’ll agree to go?” Hugh raises his eyebrow. Paul sips his coffee and gives him a dubious look.

“I want to go!” He raises his voice a little, although he knows Hugh has a point, and that in most cases he would need to be talked into something like this. But he’s here to spend time with Hugh. Get to know him. So, seeing the things he’s interested in is exactly what he wants to see, too.

“Okay,” Hugh smiles.

It's a sunny spring day in New York, and the square in front of the impressive structure is filled with people, despite it being a weekday. Paul glances at the building. The main entrance is from the late 19th century, and additions and renovations have been made to the continuously growing landmark for almost 400 years. He doesn’t begin to recognize or understand the different architectural styles. Hugh probably does.

Paul’s startled by a kid screaming nearby. They’re playing at the edge of a fountain, and now they’re laughing. Hugh links his arm with Paul’s, and they walk up the staircase to the entrance.

“This place is massive,” Paul mutters.

“I know. We don’t need to see everything,” Hugh smiles. “I mostly want to see the de Koonings.”

He knows the name, but Paul’s mind can’t bring up any images right now. At the top of the stairs, there are big banners advertising the different exhibitions. 

“Oh, right,” Paul airs as he spots one for the show they’re here to see.

“Were you listening to me at all?” Hugh pokes him in the arm.

“Wha- yeah. But that was a week ago,” Paul defends himself. He’d had quite many thoughts since then. Hugh smiles his perfect smile.

They make their way to the museum lobby that’s flowing with light and absolutely stunning with its pillars and dome ceilings with circular skylights. Paul’s still eyeing the architectural details as they settle in line for tickets. It doesn’t take long, as expected, as everything is automated. As soon as they step away from the counter, Hugh grabs a holo-map and inspects it with great focus.

“This way.”

Single-mindedly, he starts walking. Fast, too. Paul’s baffled, but takes a couple of long steps to keep up with Hugh.

Without looking back, Hugh reaches his hand towards Paul. He takes it without hesitation, and a warm feeling washes over him. Hugh’s excited, determined to reach his destination, and he holds Paul’s hand tight. Joy radiates all around him, and it’s contagious.

It’s a miracle they don’t bump into anyone as Hugh leads them through the lobby and up the impressive staircase. They turn left and pass an exhibition space of small prints.

Soon Paul spots a sign that tells him they’re in the right place.

They step into a large exhibition hall, tall white walls decked with colourful abstract paintings. The space continues to at least another hall as big. Hugh finally stops, and Paul steps beside him, still hand in hand. Paul turns to look at Hugh, whose eyes sparkle with excitement.

Paul knows he’s gonna love this day. Whether he cares for the art or not, he can’t wait to hear all about it. 

Paul’s staring at a large painting, trying to understand it. Blue, red and black lines thrown across the canvas, seemingly at random. Although it’s beautiful in a way, things he doesn’t understand annoy him. 

“You’re standing too close,” Hugh notes in a low voice, grabbing Paul’s arm and gently pulling him a few steps back. Paul’s brows are still furrowed in a way that tells Hugh he’s confused.

“What am I looking at?” Paul whispers. He doesn’t need any attention drawn on his ignorance.

“Well, it’s abstract expressionism. It isn’t really anything.” Hugh guides Paul towards the next painting on the wall. “Here, you can see human figures.”

He’s pointing with his finger, making out some of the lines in the painting. Paul’s eyebrows rise as he actually makes out two human forms. There are some additional, separate body parts, too?

“Some actually criticized him for including any figurative forms in his work,” Hugh explains. Paul turns to look at the focused expression on his lover’s face. “But he didn’t like to be tied down to definitions.”

Paul mostly nods and hums in response, as they walk through the exhibition space, studying each piece. When he can think of an appropriate question, he asks it. But mostly, he’s happy to let Hugh talk. It’s fascinating, really. He never understood abstract art before, but Hugh’s making it easier, and he even finds himself enjoying some of the pieces.

“Ah,” Hugh exclaims happily as they step into the second exhibition hall. “The Woman.”

This room is filled with paintings that at first glance look much like the ones in the previous space. Paul notices, however, that here, each painting features a more tangible human form. A woman, twisted into abstraction in a way that’s almost grotesque. 

Hugh hurries further into the space, holding Paul’s hand and leading him along. He stops at a painting that’s clearly put in a central spot and hums in marvel. 

Paul reads the sign next to the work. “ _Woman I, (1950–2), oil, enamel and charcoal on canvas_ ”.

There are sketches and unfinished paintings of the same woman around the work. Paul turns his head to look at the sheer amount of wicked-looking, heavy-breasted women all around them. 

“They say he painted on this canvas some 200 times,” Hugh speaks. He looks at Paul who’s back from his visual tour of the space and looking a little uncomfortable. Apparently, his words take a while to register, as Paul only now turns back to the painting, eyebrows slightly raised.

“Really?” he mumbles as he examines the piece.

“Well, that’s what they say. It was typical of de Kooning, painting on the same canvas over and over again. Destroying his own work as a part of his process.”

“Fascinating.”

“A fellow artist once requested a sketch of this work — just to erase it. And because of his own methods, he agreed.”

Paul chuckles at the thought. “They really didn’t like him, huh?”

“I guess it was mostly purists who wanted to separate art styles from each other. He did also receive praise. And, well, he’s here now.”

Paul hums. They move on to the next painting. 

“To be honest, I can see this being controversial,” he states at the sight of another pink-and-green lady with a manic expression and bare breasts.

“It was,” Hugh smiles. “Because this isn’t the ideal woman.”

Right. Paul’s hit with a wave of realization. This woman is not young or traditionally beautiful, but that doesn’t mean she shouldn’t be portrayed in art. He nods with a newfound understanding of the images painted 300 years ago. 

Hugh watches him and smiles gently. Paul smiles back, thankful, slightly tugs on Hugh’s hand and leans in to kiss him. It’s quick and casual, but that’s not a bad thing.

After touring the rest of the de Kooning exhibition and a variety of prehistoric artifacts, still leaving most of the museum unseen, Hugh and Paul head to the museum’s rooftop bar. It’s famous for its view, and Paul can clearly see why. It’s still light, but dusk is creeping in slowly. A view of the Manhattan skyline opens up in every direction.

It’s quite crowded, but having come all this way, they decide to stay for drinks. 

“Did you notice the Venus figurines? In the Stone Age art exhibit?” Hugh asks as they settle besides a table. “Very similar to the de Koonings.”

“Oh, you’re right, they were similar.”

“30 000 years apart,” Hugh beams. 

Paul feels Hugh’s smile give him energy, even though he’s pretty tired after the hectic day. The wine warms him up, too.

“You seem to have a fascination…” Paul isn’t quite sure how to put this. “With female figures,” he says, doubting his choice of words. But Hugh immediately lets out a breezy laugh. 

“Although I’m gay?” He asks with a grin. Well, yes. Also that. “It’s not about the physical form, but what they represent.”

Paul’s head tilts slightly.

“Women, traditionally in many cultures, give life. And women…” his look suddenly turns melancholy, and he turns to look at the skyline. “The women in my life have kept me together. My mom, my gran, even Dr. Kashkooli,” he says pointing at his chest. “Quite literally.”

Paul stares at him, hesitant. It makes sense, but he doesn’t know what to say. This seems to be quite personal for Hugh. He just nods.

Hugh reaches across the table to take Paul’s hands and smiles.

“I’m so gay though,” he teases. Paul chuckles. This is exactly the kind of banter that makes being around Hugh so easy. But sometimes he wishes he was more willing to open up, himself. He’s pushed everyone else away for so long, and admittedly, built his sense of humor as a wall. He knows Hugh would listen to any of his worries if he ever needed that. And he wants to do the same. He just isn’t sure how to tell him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Visit the MET in [google maps street view](https://www.google.fi/maps/@40.7791153,-73.9627451,2a,75y,280.88h,77.95t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sfHxpkZ4fBrPv8TSkLswkag!2e0!7i5632!8i2816), it's beautiful.


	17. Family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rating: G
> 
> (I'm catching up with myself soon, so I'm sorry if chapters get less frequent. But I got some good stuff planned.)

Later that night, Paul’s sitting on the sofa, reading a report Straal sent him. Well, he’s more just scrolling mindlessly, as it’s a very routine report, and nothing of interest seems to have happened in his absence. He hears a low shutter sound and turns his head to find Hugh holding a PADD up in front of him. 

“What are you doing?” Paul asks, uneasy, one brow raised. 

“Taking your picture,” Hugh smiles as he sits down next to Paul on the sofa. Paul’s stuck staring at him confused, in-between emotions. “My friend wants to see.”

Paul’s brows shoot up. He’s not sure if he’s flattered or mortified.

“If that’s okay,” Hugh hurries to say as he sees the expression on Paul’s face.

“Ookay,” Paul airs, leaning onto Hugh to see the screen of his PADD. Hugh laughs and brings up the image.

Paul grunts. He doesn’t particularly like seeing images of himself, even though this one’s not bad. It’s taken from the side, so it only shows his profile, and his expression is focused. “Just make sure you can’t see my screen.”

Hugh zooms in to take a look. “You can’t.”

Paul glances at the screen and back at Hugh, pursing his lips.

“I’ll blur it out just in case,” Hugh laughs. “In case my friends would be interested in stealing your research.”

“You never know,” Paul chuckles. “Who’s the friend?”

“Tracy.”

The name’s come up at some point, but Paul isn’t good at remembering these kinds of things.

“We met in med school.” Hugh brings up a picture of him and Tracy at their graduation. The same photo’s in a frame in the bedroom.

“Ah, right,” Paul smiles. He leans his elbows on his thighs, returns to his PADD and is about to go back to the report.

“If you don’t mind, I’ll send it to my mom as well,” Hugh speaks, carefree.

Paul’s head quickly turns back to stare at Hugh. He what now? Did he say his mom? 

“What?” Hugh chuckles.

“You told your mom?”

“I tell her a lot of things. I told her that you, well, exist.”

Maybe Hugh’s more serious about this than Paul had thought. It doesn’t bother him though, quite the opposite. He’s unable to form any words, so he ends up just opening and closing his mouth again.

“Sorry, I should’ve asked you,” Hugh says with remorse, apparently mistaking Paul’s surprise for dismay. Paul turns to face him and grabs his hand.

“No, it’s okay,” he assures. “I know you’re closer to your family than I am.”

Hugh smiles back at him softly.

“When I mentioned meeting someone in New York, it wasn’t exactly a topic I could avoid. My family loves gossip,” Hugh chuckles. He’d spent a few days prior in Puerto Rico with his family. Paul nods.

“My family thinks I’m going straight to Chicago. _Next_ week. They don’t even know I’m on Earth yet.”

“You should tell them,” Hugh tilts his head.

“Hell no. They wouldn’t stop harassing me about not getting there sooner.”

  
  


Paul sits on the edge of the bed, having just changed into pyjamas, and pulls off his socks. Hugh’s standing by his desk, a PADD in his hand. He mutters something in Spanish. Paul glances over to him.

Hugh walks around the bed, flicks the ceiling light off on his way and smiles an adorable smile with an undertone Paul doesn’t quite catch. He shows Paul the PADD screen. It’s a message from his mom he can’t read.

“Mom asks, ‘how’s New York?’ I think she’s a little jealous I didn’t bring her this time.”

“What’d you tell her?”

“That it’s great. I’m in good company.”

Paul smiles up at Hugh, who ruffles his hair and seems to hesitate before continuing.

“She also, umm.” Paul can’t quite see in the dark, but Hugh looks like he might be blushing. “Asks if you’re my boyfriend.”

Paul’s brows rise and Hugh turns to look away. The device shines a blue light on his face.

“Yeah?” Paul manages to utter.

“I wouldn’t mind that,” Hugh says without lifting his gaze.

Paul’s hand automatically reaches for Hugh’s, who places the PADD on the nightstand and finally looks Paul in the eyes. His expression is slightly worried.

An absolutely ridiculous grin appears on Paul’s face, he leans against Hugh’s stomach, and huffs in satisfaction.

“Paul..?”

“Yeah,” he mumbles against Hugh’s body. “I would like that very much.”

Paul feels his blood rushing, probably turning his cheeks bright red. 

“Good,” Hugh whispers in the softest voice. “It’s settled then.” The comment is meant to be humorous, but his voice reveals vulnerability lying underneath.

Paul wraps his arms around Hugh’s waist and snuggles happily against him, a content smile on his face. Gentle fingers stroke his hair and they stay there, breathing slowly and embracing each other.

Paul shifts to hold Hugh by his hips and looks up. He’s met with a sweet smile from the man he can slowly admit he’s in love with. 

Paul smiles back, fluster on his cheeks and blue eyes wide. Something tingles in his stomach. He’s learnt so much about Hugh today. He’s been honest and vulnerable and raw and let Paul see all those emotions. He’d expressed his willingness to continue sharing his life with him, which feels almost inconceivable.

Hugh leans down and kisses the bridge of Paul’s nose. Paul lifts his chin, places a hand on the back of Hugh’s neck and kisses him on the lips. They stay still for a moment, foreheads pressed together, Paul’s fingers drawing little circles on Hugh’s skin.

“Sleep?” Hugh exhales after a while. Paul’s hands slowly slide down his sides, and he lets go.

“Yeah.”

Hugh picks up the PADD and circles around the bed to his side. He sits down and writes a reply to his mother.

_“Yes. Thank you for your help.”_


	18. Unguarded

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rating: E

It’s been a long time since Hugh last had no alarm set up. While on a posting, he keeps one on even on his days off to maintain rhythm. Most days start early for him, and even if they don’t, it’s always dark in space.

It’s also been a while since he’s woken up to someone holding him as tight as Paul is now. He’s snuggled up against his back, all four limbs around him in some capacity. His arms hold on so tight, Hugh would have a hard time freeing himself. Fortunately, he doesn’t need to do that. He doesn’t need to do anything at all for another 4 days. He smiles, snuggling against Paul’s arm.

After a while, Hugh feels Paul plant a few small kisses on his skin. He can’t move much, and just strokes the fluffy blonde hair on Paul’s forearms. 

“Good morning,” Paul mumbles against his back.

“Morning.”

“Sleep well?” 

“Yeah,” Hugh smiles, although Paul can’t see it. “Very well.”

Paul’s silent for a moment, before whispering: “Good.”

“And you?” Hugh turns his head back as far as he can, but is met only with blonde hair peeking behind his shoulder.

“Yeah.”

Hugh feels pressure on the back of his thigh, realizing Paul’s pressing against him, hard, as he continues to hum against his back. He smiles, eyes closed. How can a person be so cute and so sexy, simultaneously?

The arms around Hugh loosen up just enough, allowing him to turn around and climb on top of Paul’s lap. His eyes open in surprise, hair adorably messy. Hugh guides a strand of hair back from Paul's forehead and leans down to kiss him, while knowingly pressing their hips against each other. Paul lets out a low moan. 

Hugh hovers over Paul, examining his expression. His pupils are big, white lashes laying on top of the blue eyes. His lips form a faint smile. Hugh can see the cogs turning behind the beautiful eyes as he wonders what he’s up to. 

Hugh holds Paul down by his wrists, and leans in for a kiss that tingles through Paul’s entire body. 

“Paul,” Hugh stares right into him.

“Mm?” He hums, both confused and aroused.

“Are you always on top?”

Paul’s lips part slightly. He looks pensive for a moment.

“Yeah, I mean, mostly.” Hugh can see a hint of red creep in on his cheeks and ears. He strokes Paul’s hair encouragingly. “I have been.”

Hugh just smiles and nods. He plants a kiss on Paul’s forehead.

“Would you like it the other way?” Hugh asks. He genuinely wants to know. Paul makes him feel good in any case, but he’d like to explore options to make him feel even better too.

“Uhh,” Paul exhales and his fingers move in a nervous loop on the back of Hugh’s hands. “Maybe. Now?”

“Whenever you’re ready.”

Paul smiles and Hugh leans to kiss him. They cuddle in bed for a good 30 minutes more.

They’re laying on their sides, facing each other. Hugh’s hand traces over Paul’s ear and into his hair. Paul shivers from Hugh’s touch, his eyelashes flutter and he hides his face against Hugh’s chest. He lets out a frustrated growl and Hugh can feel his skin warm under his own.

“Well,” Paul mumbles as his ears turn red. “Now I can’t stop thinking about it.”

What..? Oh. Hugh lets out a satisfied laugh against the top of Paul’s head. Paul turns his blue eyes up to look at him, biting his lip. His cheeks are red and the expression on his face completely raw. Exposed. Damn, Hugh thinks. That’s hot.

Hugh looks Paul deep into his eyes and whispers: “I’ll do anything you want done to you.”

  
  


Hugh’s voice is calm and soothing. It softens the world into a haze. Paul’s body is reacting to sensations that aren’t completely new, but unfamiliar. He can feel himself tensing up, but Hugh’s right there.

He whispers into his ear. Paul isn’t sure what, he experiences it mostly as a warm breeze, but it reassures him. The next sentence he hears more clearly: “You good?”

Paul answers only with a hum. Hugh’s hands stop moving.

“Paul?”

“Yeah, good…”

The pressure increases again. Hugh’s body is warm against his, his free hand stroking his hair and back. Paul’s concentrating solely on Hugh’s breaths, that give him a sense of reality and grip. Hugh’s fingers push deeper, and Paul lets out a low groan. He can’t remember what it’s supposed to feel like. Was it this… gentle before?

Hugh’s hands feel like they can sense what he senses. They move slowly and gently and just right. The world shifts slowly, back and forth between a cloudy haze and a very tangible sensation of pleasure. Hugh hits a sweet spot.

“Oh fuck,” Paul exhales into the pillow in a tone that’s definitely pleased. 

Hugh smiles to himself. It seems he was right that this would be enjoyable for them both. His hands continue working as he leans down to place a kiss on Paul’s back. He presses his forehead against his skin and inhales his scent. Another kiss, his hand stops and the other holds Paul by the hip. He leans closer to Paul’s ear.

“Can I?”

“Fuck yeeess,” Paul drags the response out. He turns his head sideways and Hugh can see the content smile on his face. He reaches to kiss Paul’s cheek. His lips trace down the hairline and over the neck. 

Hugh’s hands move to pull Paul’s hips up to correct his position. Paul feels his legs tense up. 

“Relax,” Hugh whispers. “Let me take care of everything.”

And he does. Paul grunts against the pillow as Hugh pushes into him, hard and hot and certain. His hand runs through Paul’s hair and slides down his back, making Paul shiver.

“Honey,” Hugh whispers with a tender voice, some concern in it as well. “Good?”

“Yes,” Paul exhales, growing impatient. He wants it. Right now-- he can’t finish the thought. 

Hugh moves, and it feel fucking heavenly. That should’ve been expected from the agile hips. He establishes a steady rhythm, making Paul gasp with every push. His own dick is throbbing against the bed, the weight of his own body on it adding to the pleasure in its own way.

Hugh’s strong but gentle, and Paul doesn’t have to do much. He isn’t used to that, so it feels foreign at times. But he decides to trust Hugh over and over again. It feels so good. Only thing he wants is to see Hugh’s face.

As soon as he senses a change in the pace, Paul pulls away from Hugh.

“Wait,” he exhales and turns to face Hugh.

“What..?” He asks, worried, but cut short, as Paul pushes him down on the bed and climbs on top of him. 

Paul’s eyes hold Hugh captive, and he studies the expressions on his face carefully. He looks eager, eyes dark and deep and beautiful. Paul grabs Hugh’s erection and slowly pushes down on him. Hugh’s mouth opens in a shaky breath. Paul smiles smugly, satisfied to be able to pull such reactions out of Hugh.

Hugh chuckles and lays his hands on Paul’s hips.

“You still ended up on top,” he grins and pushes his hips up mischievously.

Paul gasps at the sensation and his hands land on Hugh’s chest, assisting in holding himself up. He runs his fingers over the well-defined muscles and looks up to the beautiful brown eyes. This is much better.

Paul carefully moves his hips. Hugh’s hands clench his thighs, encouraging him to keep going. The bright morning sun shines in from the large windows, making everything visible. Hugh traces the light trail of hair on Paul’s stomach first with his eyes, then his fingers. He grips gently around Paul, who lets out a low growl. Hugh can’t help but grin in satisfaction.

Although Paul’s now defining the pace of their thrusts, Hugh enjoys the control he still has. Paul’s body is warm and soft and beautiful, around him and throbbing in his grip. He strokes Paul firmly, summoning a loud moan. Paul’s fingers dig into his shoulders. 

“Oh, fuck, Hugh,” he trembles. Hugh lets out an involuntary gasp. He looks up to find Paul’s eyes firmly closed and cheeks blushed. His movements grow quicker and impatient.

“God. I’m--,” Paul expires. Hugh grabs onto his thigh, while still rapidly stroking him with his other hand. Paul’s fingers curl against his chest, and warm liquid gushes onto Hugh’s chest. Hugh holds on to him tight as he shakes and catches his breath. He needs a minute, but he’s gonna make Hugh come just as hard.


	19. Family, part II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Not the most innovative chapter, but it was cute enough.

It’s almost noon before they’re up. Not that it matters today. Paul’s wearing only his pajama bottoms, inspecting Hugh’s family photos again. He sips on his coffee and turns to look at Hugh, who walks up to him. He runs a hand through Paul’s hair, still wet from the bath they took together, and smiles gently.

“These your parents?” Paul asks, pointing at a holo frame.

“Yeah. Well, he’s not my biological father. But yes.”

Paul nods in understanding. His eyes move over a few other frames. 

“That’s my abuela,” Hugh points to a picture Paul remembers looking at before. Hugh looks quite different in it, but his smile is recognizable anywhere. “And these are my siblings. Half-siblings, these three. But like I said, that never made a difference.”

“Five of you?” Paul half asks, half states. All of them have the same brown eyes and curly hair in slightly different tones. The youngest are still teenagers in the picture. 

“Yeah,” Hugh chuckles. “Imagine all of us living in the same house. At one point with two of my cousins, too.” Paul tilts his head. It’s definitely not something he can imagine right off the bat, even though their family used to have large gatherings as well. But he only had to share with one sibling.

“When was this?”

“Ten, eleven years ago? I think this is Lola’s 13th birthday.” He points at the youngest sister. That makes her 10 or so years Hugh’s junior.

“When’s your birthday?” Paul asks, brows furrowed, unsure if this has ever come up.

“December 27th.”

“Oh. Have I asked that before..?”

“Not that I remember.”

Paul’s relieved it’s not just another thing he forgot. He makes a mental note of remembering today’s date - or yesterday’s, rather, as apparently that’s the date they became official.

“What?” Hugh asks, when he stares into the empty space between them for just a second too long.

“Oh, nothing,” Paul replies with a smile and gives Hugh a peck on his lips. 

“When’s yours?” Hugh asks as he gestures for Paul to step aside from the dresser, opens a drawer and pulls out two white t-shirts, handing one to Paul. He’s surprised, but takes the shirt.

“October 26th. Hm,” he hums at the notion of the subsequent dates. 

“And your family? You’ve never told me what they’re like.”

It’s true that Hugh’s family has come up far more often in conversation. Not that Paul has been consciously avoiding the topic, although he has to admit it’s not one of his favourite subjects. 

“My parents are still together. Quite… miraculously, to be honest. Dad was away a lot when we were kids, now we all get along better,” Paul speaks as he plays with the fabric in his hands. “And I have a sister. Penny. She has two kids.”

Hugh smiles and nods. The image of Paul as an uncle warms him inside.

“Are you also the oldest?”

Paul laughs a little. “By 8 minutes, yes.”

“You’re a twin,” Hugh raises his eyebrows. “Good to know.”

“Why?” Paul throws him a suspicious look as he sits on the bed and pulls the shirt on himself. Hugh shrugs and sits down next to him.

“Is your sister like you?”

“What do you mean ‘like me’?” Paul pokes Hugh with his elbow, laughing and squinting his eyes playfully.

“Nothing! It’s just, twins are often so alike or completely different.”

“Hm,” Paul stops to think. “I never really thought about it. She’s always just been my sister.”

Paul does recognize some common qualities between them. They’re both curious, easily excited. He also knows he’s sometimes just as annoying and prickly as Penny can be. But they love each other.

“I guess we are quite similar.”

Hugh nods and runs his hand down Paul’s back. He’s enjoying getting to know him immensely. And today, they don’t have to do anything. Maybe grab some food, and Hugh wouldn’t mind going for a run later, but other than that, he plans on only enjoying the time they have together.

He seeks for Paul’s eyes, and he turns to look at him. 

“Can we just stay in today?”

“Yes, please,” Paul smiles. Hugh kisses him softly.

“I’ll go for a run at some point, but otherwise.”

Paul looks at him with a sceptical frown. “That’s not ‘just staying in’.”

Hugh lets out a laugh. “I need to. I didn’t go yesterday at all.”

“Because we only walked around a museum for 6 hours, you feel like you skipped a day?”

Paul’s right, but he enjoys having a routine, and running has become a vital part of that. Also, he can’t let an opportunity to tease Paul pass.

“Well, you get to enjoy the results.”

Paul smiles and leans on Hugh’s shoulder, wrapping his arms around him.

“That I do.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading! Your comments always make my day ♥️  
> [Tumblr](https://doitforstamets.tumblr.com/)


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